Santa Surveillance and Checking Bedtime at College for 12/09/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My kids’ behavior has been dreadful lately. I’ve tried everything, and I feel like I can’t make a dent. The kids love Christmas and Santa, so I’m thinking about getting The Elf on the Shelf to encourage good behavior. Even though I’ve totally resisted because I have no time for this, I’m hoping the behavior will at least improve for December. Should I get it? – Hesitant
Dear Hesitant: Every year I hear parents say to their misbehaving kids, “Santa’s watching.” And every year I’m heartbroken for those parents. They are out of tools. They believe the only way to improve behavior at this point is to hold the loss of material gifts over their kids’ heads. Now there are even more options for pretending someone all-knowing is watching your kids. First there was the elf who reports back to Santa to decide who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Then the Mensch on a Bench showed up so the Jews don’t feel left out. Now there are even Santa spy surveillance cameras (Can you say creepy?) that light up when Santa’s elves are observing. Good grief!
Updated: Sat Dec 09, 2017
Santa Surveillance and Checking Bedtime at College for 12/09/2017