As the holiday season swings into full gear, there's a familiar hum of activity: the twinkling lights, the laughter of family, the smell of Christmas cookies baking and pine. For many, this time of year evokes images of cozy gatherings, perfect meals and joyful moments. But for mothers, the holidays are often a double-edged sword, a whirlwind of magic and chaos that can leave us feeling simultaneously overjoyed and, at times, utterly spent.
My six year-old son asked me this week, “Mommy, why don’t we have an elf on the shelf?” I had no other explanation for him other than “I’m not sure, baby.” But the truth of the matter is, the responsibilities that come with moving that elf every night, while also coming up with new and funny places and things for this toy elf to get into, makes my head spin a little bit. There’s a kind of unspoken expectation that mothers will be the ones to "make Christmas happen"—from planning the perfect holiday meals to ensuring the house is decked out with decorations, all while managing the flurry of school spirit weeks, family events and gift shopping. It's a tradition of labor that is often invisible to everyone else but weighs heavily on our shoulders and the thought of having to remember to move a toy elf every night, on top of all that, I think I’m going to pass for now.