When Does The Shelf Elf Come Out?
December 1st, through December 24th. Plenty of families start the day after Thanksgiving, but you are the one who moves it, so the Court says less is more.
Every night before December 1st is a night you volunteered for. Nobody in the history of parenting has said, "I wish we'd started the elf sooner." You're going to spend 24 nights at 11:40 p.m., in the dark, in your socks, remembering. That's plenty.
The Court has seen the elf after two weeks of this. Exhibit D isn't resting. It has asked for a lawyer.
If you're doing this, set an alarm on your phone with a boring name, so nobody's asking why your phone says ELF. Keep a list of ten easy poses and don't compete with what you've seen online. Hanging from a ceiling fan is a lot of work to impress a five-year-old who's just as thrilled when it moves to the other shelf. If you forget, the elf was tired. Elves get tired. Nobody can prove they don't.
If there's more than one kid, get your story straight before the first night. If there's a kid who's starting to have questions, the elf has probably done what it came to do.
On December 24th it goes back to wherever it goes. Put it in a box, somewhere high up. You're free. Say nothing. You've got eleven months before you have to do this to yourself again.
The Ruling: Allowed from December 1 through December 24.
This ruling comes from a joke website. There is no court. The dates are our opinion, and the practical tips are ordinary common sense, so use your own judgment.