I used to be a little wary about the whole “Have you been naughty or nice?” debate parents had with their kids and the lead up to Christmas. Well, that was until I actually became a parent and saw how reward systems can really act in your favour and, how even the most perfect of moms need good behaviour incentives to get their kids to listen first time! I think I just never really wanted my kids to feel their behaviour was being monitored by any one other than me.

But you see I’ve come to realise that my kids, like many of yours, tend to listen far better when someone else is doing the asking and delegating. We all know the situation far too well : You pick up your child from a playdate and the first thing Jimmy’s mom says is “Wow your kid is so well behaved and respectful. He’s just the kindest, sweetest little soul”” And confusion washes over you and slowly you back up and look behind you, because surely Jimmy’s mom is talking to someone else? Surely she’s not taking about your little tyrant! But yes, true as bob your kid has been on his best behaviour all through the afternoon. Why? Because Jimmy’s mom did the asking!!  No? Just me?

Look, I’m exaggerating (or am I?) and my kids are really not that bad. For the most part they are pretty well-rounded little boys who really respect us as their parents. But, something starts to happen towards the end of a long year. It’s like something inside them snaps and they start getting up to a little bit more mischief than usual. And it slowly progresses to the point of insanity and the thing at the shifts its way up to the top of your christmas Wish List is a holiday away from the kids. You get me girl?

You see at this point in time, as the end of the long year starts to come to a close, when moms are slowly starting to lose their sh1t, we will do almost anything to get our kids to listen! And of course we hate being the angry, shouty moms we so often find ourselves being reduced to. So sometimes we need to rope in a little bit of extra help and round up the troops right? Sometimes we need some assistance from Santa’s cute little helpers!

This year I have my tired mom-butt covered. With who you ask? My little friend Elf For Christmas that’s who! And beside the good behaviour incentive I’m hoping it will offer me, I’m also just so excited to have some fun with my kids as we make our way through the festive season together. I love that this kit encourages good behaviour, instead of condemning bad behaviour. I also love it that as their parents we can really mess with them a bit. *Evil laugh. Jokes aside, I can wait to see the boys faces light up as they see what our Elf has been up to while they were asleep.

Here’s a a little bit more about this lovely tradition that has made its way to our sunny shores!!!

A modern family tradition, “Elf for Christmas‟ is a magical toy & reward kit perfect for girls & boys aged 2 & over. Available as a girl or boy Elf, this engaging toy brings fun & magic to your home throughout December – while promoting good behaviour and family interaction.

Elf for Christmas was born in the UK in 2015, and this year Santa is sending his little helpers further afield into sunny South Africa. The magical concept/story behind this UK award winning toy “Elf For Christmas” is that the loveable little elf is sent to a home all the way from the North Pole by Santa himself – with a main purpose of watching over the children and reporting back on good or bad behaviour. He/she also serves as a direct communication link to The North Pole for kids to send their letters to Santa.

As is customary with Christmas – all the magic comes to life while all the children are sleeping – so after the lights have gone out and all is quiet, the little elf “comes alive” and gets up to all kinds of mischief (with a little help from Mum or Dad, of course) – doing a variety of quirky things around the home … from fun and naughty things like eating cookies from Mommy‟s cookie jar and leaving crumbs on the counter … to kind and helpful chores like tidying away toys that the kids may have left out! But beware – he/she may report back a messy room to Santa!!.

I cannot wait to start playing tricks on my kids.(Look who is the real kid now?) Already mom and dad have started plotting some funny things to do. I have already named ours Alfie so look out for the big introduction soon!  🙂

So what does the range include?

Boy or Girl Christmas Elf Toy & Magical Reward Kit – R495  (this helps to bring the magic of the elf to life and can be used to assist in promoting good behaviour… it’s a very extensive set of beautiful designed stationery that Elf uses to encourage kids to be good and stay on the nice list!)

Magical Christmas Reward Refill Kit – R225  

Elf‟s First Adventure Illustrated Story Book – R135 

Magical Elf Door – R465 / 

24 Advent Letters – R265 / Such a awesome way to bond with the kids each night in December – won’t take as long to read as a books and helps with memory retention as you can discuss what the elf wrote about the previous day before starting each day’s new letter. Really fun little letters with exciting little adventures woven into the storyline throughout the letters.

North Pole Sticker Set – R245 / these are great as they can also be made into Christmas cards, or even used as placemats for Christmas lunch! A great mess-free activity to do with kids to make them feel like they’re part of the Christmas decor.

Plus his outfit is far more festive than the other elves out there, and made from great quality fabrics!

    “Elf for Christmas” is available online in South Africa via www.elfforchristmas.co.za and www.takealot.com and is arriving in other retailers soon!

We are giving away an Elf For Christmas toy PLUS reward kit valued at R495 (Either boy or Girl!!) to one lucky reader! 

To WIN you need to follow these steps in order to qualify for the draw:

1. Tag TWO mom friends on the Facebook thread and tell us if you would choose a BOY or GIRL Elf.
2. Like and Share the post.
3. Like Elf For Christmas on Facebook.
4. For a bonus entry head over to @leighgeary, find our Elf For Christmas post and follow those easy steps too!!   

But fear not, there is also a discount code for all those who cannot wait! Type in this discount code at check out – ALFIE*MAGIC*20  and order today! Readers will receive 20% off their entire order. (One use per customer. Orders over R500 get free delivery in SA.)

Code is valid until midnight on 20 November:

GOOD LUCK!!

Terms And Conditions 

1. You need to complete all 3 steps in order to qualify for the prize. Bonus entries are not compulsory.
2. This Competition ends Friday 17th November at 17h00.
3. You need to reside in South Africa in order to qualify for the prize
4. Winner will be chosen via random.org and my decision is final.
5. The prize may not be redeemed for cash and will be delivered to your door.  The Mom Diaries and all sponsored brands are in no way responsible for delays or unforseen issues of any kind, whatsoever.

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!