Christmas is getting closer, and every time Junior even looks at me with a side eye, I love being able to remind him Santa is watching. He whines for candy? Santa’s watching. He takes a toy from his sister? Santa’s watching. He drops the iPad, shattering the screen, and then immediately does it again on purpose because apparently I did not freak out enough the first time? Yeah…. Santa saw that too.
Anyway – all good things must come to an end. In just a few weeks, I will lose one more tool in my mommy toolbox. The threats of Santa watching will fall on deaf ears. No, I’m not one to give up that easy. Since the Mailman might as well be Santa in our family, Surviving Mommyhood would like to present to you: Mailman On A Shelf. We named ours “Fluffy”.
Deciding to adopt a Mailman into your family is a big decision. I have taken the liberty of addressing some of the issues we considered before we took the plunge:
Time Commitment:
I have known families to fizzle out on their Elf on a Shelf after a week. Are we prepared to commit ourselves to 365 evenings a year finding mischief for “Fluffy”? Admittedly, this was our biggest concern. So when we forget to move “Fluffy” for three weeks, we say a rat must have touched him and he lost his magic. Occasionally, Junior tells people we have rats now, but it seems like a small price to pay.
He’s With Us Year-Round:
When it’s summer, and Junior is too hyper cause we got candy from the vending machine at the pool, I love being able to remind him “Fluffy” is watching. You can’t do that with Elf On A Shelf. Unless you live in Australia. Then you probably can. Think about it.
He Isn’t Mainstream:
None of Junior’s friends have a Mailman on a Shelf watching over them. Occasionally, I worry one of his friends will tell Junior that it’s not real. So we decided not to let Junior socialize with other people, unless we are around and can discretely pull him away if the topic comes up. Problem solved.
The Name isn’t Catchy:
Ok. Mailman On A Shelf might not rhyme. But Junior is 3, he doesn’t get rhyming anyway.
He Is A Part Of Our Family:
Is it creepy that “Fluffy” is watching our every move? Sure. But my dog does too. Except my dog doesn’t go gossiping about me behind my back. Wow…. maybe Fluffy really is like family.
He Has A Variety of Costumes:
Truth be told, our Mailman On A Shelf is just a Ken doll. Which means we can find a variety of fun outfits for “Fluffy” throughout the year. Bonus – they are much cheaper, and have a wider variety than “Elf” outfits.
We Have To Avoid The Barbie Aisle:
I do worry Junior will spot a Ken Doll at the store and realize “Fluffy” is just a toy. We now avoid the Barbie aisle at the toy store to prevent confusion. We were at a friend’s house once and they had a Ken doll. I was able to quickly remove its head and hide it in my purse before Junior spotted anything. Why didn’t I hide the entire toy in my purse instead of removing the head first? I think I just panicked. Oh well.
Adopting a Mailman is a lot of fun. While it’s not for every family, it has grown to be a part of ours. I hope you will join us. If you Instagram or Facebook pictures of your mailman, please use #mailmanonashelf, because let’s be honest, 365 nights is a lot… we are going to need some ideas.
Surviving Mommyhood 