AIBU to have primary-aged children, and not do the elf...

Really doesn’t matter. I started doing it 12 years ago when I found the Mumsnet Christmas forum and someone had mentioned it on there. At the time it was an American import so cost me around £35. We still have it now, he’s called Norbert and he’s just become part of the family at Christmas.

My older DC are teens but still enjoy it. Younger DC very much think it’s real still. He brings gifts on the 1st December (just advent calendars, Xmas books, a new tree decoration, Christmas tonie and Christmas gloves for younger DC) and then on Xmas Eve when he leaves.

I didn’t expect it would take off in the way it has, I remember my mum thinking I was barmy at the time moving an elf around every night.

They’re crap.
My children’s primary school once told all the children in the school that if they made a diorama and bought it in with their elves (one per household) so they could see the children’s “elf houses”, then all the children would be rewarded with an extra reward.
I went to the school and played merry hell with them, not everyone celebrates Christmas, not everyone has an elf, not everyone even LIKES the bloody elf! I basically put it to the school that they were being highly exclusionary and discriminatory. They did not like it, but they did cancel the whole project and now children get the reward on the last day of term regardless. The bloody elf is a stupid thing, and if you read into it, it was actually created by an American mum to force her kids to behave over December. Hilariously it’s NOT a tradition.

We have avoided the elf.

When my DC asked if we were going to have an elf coming to stay in our house (I think they were 4 and 8) i was more concerned with shutting down any more talk of the elf and didn't think if the consequences of saying "only naughty children have an elf to stay, to make sure they behave, you aren't naughty"

The consequences? Both children went into school and told all their friends who were boasting about their elves that they were naughty. And that their mum had said so.

Bit awkward at school pick up for a few days...

YANBU

I don't do it with my primary age DC, if any of their school friends do it the DC haven't mentioned it.

DS1 (9) mentioned the elves from the tui advert looked 'creepy' so probably a good thing an elf isn't popping up in the morning.

Didn’t do this for either of my children and they are very happy.
I have seen work colleagues & friends so stressed trying to outdo one another, it’s a complete nonsense. Their children don’t seem that interested tbh.

No. Don't do it. Once you do it you can't stop. I had years of pressure from my kids for it but resisted. I felt bad for a bit but then reminded myself we do loads of other lovely christmas things and there is no way I wanted to add moving an elf around every night for a month for however many years to my already overwhelming list of jobs. Don't feel bad. Christmas is special enough without the elf.

I'm not a parent and I don't like Christmas much, but it sounds to me that the things you do show genuine warmth, love and care and are much more likely to live on in your children's memories than elf stuff.

I've never done whatever the elf thing is, DD is 8 and I only heard about it for the first time last year. I asked her about it and she had no idea what I was talking about, and nor did any of the other parents in her class. So it's definitely not everywhere! (I'm still not really sure what it is - hiding an elf?)

25 days of 'hilarious' pranks that you then have to tidy up. No thanks! Or forgetting and having to make up some excuse. Always seemed to be more about the parents showing off on social media anyway.

YANBU, we never did either of these things. No elf and Christmas Eve I used to do new pyjamas (not Christmas themed), hot chocolate and The Snowman.

Are these friends on social that you saw with the boxes, or people you just follow?

Christmas baking sounds lovely. Traditions you create yourselves will also be much nicer and make better memories than social media trends.

No we don’t have elves. My kids are 5 and 8, full believers in Santa. I think my eldest knows parents move the elves.
We also have cats which might eat the elves so that’s why they don’t come to us. Shame.
I thought I was going the extra mile for buying a £2 box of Buddy the Elf cereal from B&M for the kids to have tomorrow to be honest.

We do lots of lovely things in the run up to Christmas, but I have a demanding job working 13 hour shifts in a hospice, older parent to help and between that, the kids, school and everything else I don’t have the mental space for it.

Yeah. The elf can do one.

Fair play to you.

Yanbu. I once saw an instagram post where someone tipped flour all over their kitchen and did little elfy footprints and decided it wasn't for me.

Nope nope NOPE. DH excitedly came home last week telling me FIL had ordered some elves for "us". I pointed out once he starts it, its got to be done consistently and said he and FIL were more than welcome to administrate said elves but I wouldn't be involved. Elves have been returned or otherwise disposed of, I dont care where or how but they aren't entering our house. We'll do lots of fun Christmas stuff, but no elves.

My children are 8 and 5 and we've never done the elf or Christmas Eve boxes. DD is 5, I've a feeling I might get the thumbscrews from her about it but I'll stand firm. Her brother couldn't care less and doesn't even like Santa. Advent calenders (chocolate) are, however, a big tradition. Last year was very difficult as my mum had died and buying them was always her "thing" - even for DH and me.

Never done it, don’t know anyone IRL who does, DC have never mentioned it. As of this year DC no longer believe in Santa so seems we’ve managed to avoid it.

I hate the elf and resisted until last year when I cracked, but the delight the children get from it does make it worthwhile.

This is our first year doing it. My son is six. He knows the elves don’t visit every year as there are not enough elves to go round so children have to taken turns each year.

I totally get that. I'm a member on another forum where people are basically trying to imply people who don't do it are depriving their children of a natural joy. I don't care, I'm not the one pissing about trying to think of ideas for the next three weeks 😘

Never done the elf and I don’t know what a December box is.

The DC do have an advent calendar.

When they're old enough I'd be leaving elf entrails in the cat bowl with a note from the cat confirming their theory 😂

No elf ever came to our house. We expected one like everyone else, and waited patiently but it just never happened for us. In the end the kids thought maybe it was because it was afraid of our cat, we agreed this was probably the case.