When do elves come out

Customize Select the topics that interest you:. Parenting Humor. Parenting News. New Moms. Book Swipe Shop. We're Hiring! As your Scout Elf travels the globe, he or she may take time sightseeing on the way back to you. Be patient, your elf will be there before you know it! Some North Pole duties needed attention. Everyone knows the Scout Elves help Santa get ready for Christmas, and before your elf can take off for your home, he or she has to make sure to complete all of his or her holiday-related tasks!

Just a few more letters to Santa to file, and then, your elf will be on the way! It all started with the book authored by mother-daughter duo Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell. As the story goes, elves arrive around Thanksgiving and keep watch of children up until Christmas Eve. Every night during this time, elves fly to the North Pole to report to the big guy, ya know, Santa, about the kids' naughty or niceness, then return to a new spot each morning.

Parents choose different dates to bring back their elves depending on their own holiday traditions and creative endurance. Here are some ways to kick off the magic in your house.

And don't worry if it's a week into December and you are just now reading this. There are plenty of excuses below. Grab a little card or piece of scrap paper and write "I'm back!

For the unfamiliar: Every year, Santa sends an Elf on the Shelf to scout children's houses and keep tabs on their Christmas season behavior, often leaving a trail of marshmallows and glitter in their wake. There are so many things to learn: whether it's the creative and mischievous situations the elves have gotten themselves into in years past, the awesome new Elf on the Shelf outfits available for your family's Elf, the many rules that come with owning one like choosing a good Elf on the Shelf name , and his daily routine he stays put during the day, jets to the North Pole to submit his report each night, and then appears in a new spot the following morning.

But first and foremost, you need to know this: When does the Elf on the Shelf come to your house? And when does the Elf on the Shelf leave so he can head back to the North Pole? We've got the here. The elves are capricious little guys and gals, and they arrive for the holiday season according to their whims.

So if your neighbor's Elf on the Shelf has arrived and you're still waiting, don't worry! Some make their first appearance on Thanksgiving night, and others wait until December. If your little friend hasn't shown up by early December, it might be worth a note to Santa to check up on him!