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Christmas

How do you explain not having a elf?

356 replies

ItsJustASimpleLine · 01/12/2018 08:33

Really don't want to have to do elf on the shelf. Can anyone help with and explanation for why we don't have one that DD would believe??

OP posts:
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SummerGems · 01/12/2018 11:42

But it’s not remotely the same as Santa. Most children are told about Santa. Most children are not given elf on the shelf. But either way there will be children who tell others that Santa isn’t real. This is life. And he isn’t real is he?

And elf on the shelf isn’t a tradition. It’s a marketing ploy.

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NothingOnTellyAgain · 01/12/2018 11:45

I've got a 9yo and never done this - heard about it on here first a couple of years back and then a mum mentioned it last year about how the elf was a right pain as it had put flour all over the kitchen WTF glutton for punishment or what. I don't feel that it's really bedded in yet as a "thing" TBH and it's not one of "our" traditions is it, it's come from ?USA I assume.

So it's a no from me.

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Boohissmiss · 01/12/2018 11:46

Summer isn’t modern day Santa just a massive marketing ploy by Coca-Cola

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MsTSwift · 01/12/2018 11:46

Just do it if she’s up for it. It’s sweet make the most of it. In a few short years they will be off with their friends

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NothingOnTellyAgain · 01/12/2018 11:48

Saint Nicholas was a real person wasn't he?
"Saint Nicholas of Myra[a] (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343),"

So that's going back a fair few years Grin

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Sunisshining5346 · 01/12/2018 11:49

Just say 'Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean he isn't watching you'

DS1 and I look out of his bedroom window at bedtime to see if we can see anything..I pretend sometimes and say 'look! I think I just seen him!'
And then it gets him extremely excited and jumps into bed, desperate to fall asleep 😍..it's so cute!
trying something like this, might work!

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NothingOnTellyAgain · 01/12/2018 11:50

"In late medieval England, on Saint Nicholas' Day parishes held Yuletide "boy bishop" celebrations. As part of this celebration, youths performed the functions of priests and bishops, and exercised rule over their elders. Today, Saint Nicholas is still celebrated as a great gift-giver in several Western European and Central European countries. According to one source, in medieval times nuns used the night of 6 December to deposit baskets of food and clothes anonymously at the doorsteps of the needy. According to another source, on 6 December every sailor or ex-sailor of the Low Countries (which at that time was virtually all of the male population) would descend to the harbour towns to participate in a church celebration for their patron saint. On the way back they would stop at one of the various Nicholas fairs to buy some hard-to-come-by goods, gifts for their loved ones and invariably some little presents for their children. While the real gifts would only be presented at Christmas, the little presents for the children were given right away, courtesy of Saint Nicholas. This and his miracle of him resurrecting the three butchered children made Saint Nicholas a patron saint of children and later students as well."

Pretty sure this predates the elf on the shelf Grin

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Iputthescrewinthetuna · 01/12/2018 11:51

'Because you are such a good girl, Santa doesn't need an elf to watch you. He knows you will be good!'

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SummerGems · 01/12/2018 11:54

Well, some kids will tell others that Santa isn’t real. Some kids will tell others that God isn’t real. Elf on the shelf isn’t even up there as far as im concerned. So nope, absolutely no problem with shattering that one for any child and sparing the parents the stupidity that is buying into the ploy.

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SummerGems · 01/12/2018 12:02

It’ll be interesting to see how many children who have had elf on the shelf will follow that when they have children. Given it’s such an openly marketing ploy i.e. the elves are available in shops etc it’s not the same as the tradition of Santa, and no children are yet even old enough to not be doing elf any more since it’s such a very recent thing (last ten years at most but probably less). Also so very very few children do it compared to the tradition of Santa. I really can’t see this one taking off.

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Boohissmiss · 01/12/2018 12:08

Summer a quick google suggests it’s been a thing since 2004 so 14 years that is a long time and who are we to say whose traditions are more important than others. Almost like religion I don’t go telling my children that others religion are made up . We need to be respectful of others .

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Caprisunorange · 01/12/2018 12:09

I don’t really get what’s marketing about elf on a shelf. The elf itself is very cheap and available from multiple suppliers. It doesn’t sell anything. Where is the marketing?

I mean there is a hell of a lot of marketing at Xmas, it seems like a really weird thing to pick on 🤣

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Trills · 01/12/2018 12:12

Almost like religion I don’t go telling my children that others religion are made up

Don't you though? Maybe not in those exact words, but what do you tell them?

(seems a bit overblown to compare father christmas to religion, let alone elf on the shelf)

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Boohissmiss · 01/12/2018 12:12

I totally agree Capri if it’s a marketing ploy it’s a bad one. A one pound elf out of the poundshop and you have one already.

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Elfinablender · 01/12/2018 12:13

I say that the elf only goes to houses were the adults are bored.

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BruegelTheEIder · 01/12/2018 12:14

Why wouldn't you tell your kids that religions are made up? They are made up!

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NothingOnTellyAgain · 01/12/2018 12:14

St Nicholas born 270AD
so 1,748 years ago
and presents given in Britain since late medieval times

Vs

14 years which is apparently a "long time"

Blmey this country has such a lot of history >> really old pubs buildings churches viking burial sites you name it

But no >> the specsavers on the high street built 14 years ago apaprently counts as very old Grin

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NothingOnTellyAgain · 01/12/2018 12:15

I mean do it if you want by all means but let's not pretend this is a longstanding British tradiiton for fucks sake

(Waits to be told it is in scotland in the way halloween threads usually go :D)

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Twitchintervention · 01/12/2018 12:15

I just don’t understand threads like this (the nature not necessarily the OP)

We do the Elf, he makes my children happy, he does naughty things, the children still do not, well not any more than usual.

If it’s something you want to do, do it.

If it’s soemthing you don’t want to do, don’t do it.

What and where the fuck is the problem?

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traumwerk · 01/12/2018 12:16

I've told my children that if you agree not to have an Elf, FC repays you with more presents. It's up to the parents to decide whether to "opt in" or not.

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user1468942365 · 01/12/2018 12:19

Neither if my children have ever asked about it. You're over thinking it, I think x

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Boohissmiss · 01/12/2018 12:19

Trills I tell them it’s important to not judge someone by their beliefs or lack of in my case . To judge people by how they treat you .

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Caprisunorange · 01/12/2018 12:21

Twitchintervention Completely agree. It’s like competitive elf hate

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Boohissmiss · 01/12/2018 12:22

Nothing all traditions have to start somewhere smh

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SummerGems · 01/12/2018 12:23

So what’s the big deal. Some kids don’t do the easter bunny. Some don’t do the tooth fairy. Some don’t practice the same religion,and some don’t believe in Father Christmas. And in all of those situations there will be children who tell other children that it’s not real hence why. It’s up to the parents to convince the kids if they feel they want to.

And elf on the shelf is not a national tradition. A handful of people have taken on the idea and run with it. But the fact that there are people even on here who had never heard of it in the real world is testament to the fact that it’s really nothing to get worked up about.

Telling a child that we don’t do elf on the shelf because it’s a waste of time and because it’s mummy who doesn’t have the time or inclination to get the elf to do naughty things is not going to traumatise a child. Any child with an ounce of inteligence isn’t going to buy into it past the age of about four anyway. How many kids keep up the belief in Santa past the age of about seven or eight for the benefit of their parents. A hell of a lot more do than don’t.

But Santa is believed nationally and has been for decades. Fourteen years does not a tradition make which needs to be upheld at all costs.

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