Kylie Kelce, wife of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, recently admitted on her podcast, Not Gonna Lie, that she and her husband take a minimalist approach to the Elf on the Shelf tradition. With three daughters, Wyatt (5), Elliotte (3), and Bennett (19 months), and a fourth daughter on the way, the Kelce household has a simple routine for their elf, affectionately named “Emmy-Nemmy.”
Emmy-Nemmy’s nightly adventures consist solely of moving from one shelf to another. No elaborate setups, no handwritten notes, and certainly no gifts. Kylie confessed that she and Jason are “the most low maintenance” when it comes to their daughters’ elf. She loves the creative ideas she sees online, like drawing on her children’s faces and blaming the elf, but the effort involved is simply not a commitment she’s willing to make.
“Emmy-Nemmy is not leaving notes. She’s not bringing gifts. She’s not requiring any additional work,” Kylie stated on her podcast. She prefers the simplicity of moving the elf and leaving it at that. Her main concern, however, is the inevitable comparison between her children’s elf and the more active elves of their classmates.
“The one problem that I have not yet run into is how nervous I am that the kids are going to start comparing notes at school,” Kylie shared. She worries about her daughters discovering that other elves participate in more mischievous and elaborate antics, leaving Emmy-Nemmy looking like a “deadbeat elf.”
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Kylie even recounted a time when Emmy-Nemmy remained on the same shelf for two consecutive days. To cover her tracks, she quickly improvised a story about the rain preventing the elf from flying. “Wyatt, look outside. The ground is wet. I bet you it was raining last night, and Emmy-Nemmy didn’t wanna get her wings wet.” Although she felt a pang of guilt for lying, Kylie maintains she would do it again because Wyatt believed her without hesitation.
“I lied through my teeth and I’d do it again, because she bought every second of it.” This lighthearted approach to the Elf on the Shelf tradition reflects the Kelce family’s down-to-earth personality. While Kylie anticipates future inquiries about Emmy-Nemmy’s lack of enthusiasm, she remains committed to her low-effort strategy. The Kelces are expecting their fourth daughter in 2025, which means another child will soon be observing Emmy-Nemmy’s uneventful nightly routines.
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Despite the potential for future “deadbeat elf” accusations, Kylie stands by her simplified approach, prioritizing family time over elaborate elf shenanigans. Her honesty and humor resonate with parents who might feel overwhelmed by the pressure to create the perfect Elf on the Shelf experience. The Kelce family’s story offers a refreshing reminder that the holidays are about creating memories, not about striving for perfection. Ultimately, it’s the love and connection within the family that truly matters, not the complexity of an elf’s nightly escapades.
