People with young DC who don't do Elf on the Shelf- what do you tell them?

[TheCraicDealer]

DD is only ten weeks old so we're a while off this being an issue, but I'm genuinely curious.

Most of the parents on my social media seem to do this Elf on the Shelf shite and I just can. Not. Be. Bothered. I can get on board with Santa sneaking into the house to leave presents by ~MaGiC~, but I don't want DD thinking we have security issues with repeated breaches

Anyway because it now seems to have become such a thing I'm a bit worried that once she gets to childcare/nursery/school she'll ask me why the elves don't come to our house. I'm shit at thinking on my feet so I need to have a response sorted to spring out when the question comes. So if you've been asked what did you tell them?

[Ozgirl75]

My two are 7 and 9 and they saw them in the shops so I said it was just a thing some parents do if their kids are naughty and they can’t think of a better way to get them to behave.

We also don’t do the Easter bunny, I just say it’s not real and why would a rabbit bring eggs?

We do kind of do Santa but in a low key way and I’ve never said it’s real, but we do the mince pies and the glass of milk etc. They go along with it though as I think they don’t want to risk not getting presents.

The only one I do do is the tooth fairy but even that I don’t think they truly believe in, they’re just going along with it for the money!

[loutypips]

Because I'm an elf and my job is wrapping presents, so I have a direct line to Father Christmas.

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

Both this and the Christmas Eve Box wankery belong the category/new era of Showboating For Social Media Parenting

Along with pregnancy announcements, gender reveal, baby showers, cake smashes, present pile pictures etc.

[bagsofbats]

I have told mine it is all about the agreement parents have with FC that's why different families have different arrangements. There's a lot of paperwork to be filled in earlier on in the year that covers it all. They have completely swallowed this!

[drspouse]

And cake smash parties.

[Closetbeanmuncher]

Both this and the Christmas Eve Box wankery belong the category/new era of Showboating For Social Media Parenting

Off topic but can we also add gender reveal parties to the list of wankery.

[SheChoseDown]

Tell her it's their parents.

[Jodie77]

*Also I am inept and lazy
*
Wish more people could be that honest!

[Jodie77]

I tell them I'm texting Santa and come on Mumsnet instead. Surely that's why your all here ?

[FrivolousPancake]

It really adds to the magic and fun in our house!

I tell DD not to talk too much about it in school though as each family have different beliefs and therefore different experiences. A lot of the children don’t believe in Santa and don’t do Christmas because of their religions so it works for us

[thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]

It's a load of competitive fb bollocks

[taybert]

We don’t do it because I can’t be bothered. December is a long month for the kids, I just think this sort of thing winds them up even more. Also I am inept and lazy.

It never crossed my mind that children actually think the elves are really real and are actually doing those things though? It’s different with Father Christmas because he comes in the night and you can’t see him, but I’m pretty sure my kids would see the toys doing their thing and it would be obvious that it’s just a fun game. Because they’re obviously just toys and not something magical.

It’s easy to get very tied up with what you tell the kids at Christmas. I try to keep it vague and mention magic a lot. I’m not sure I could keep up with a complex web of lies. It would be very stressful!

[Heartofglass12345]

@Stockingfiller1 that is hilarious sorry to nobody because nobody cares 😂 I don't get why people put on fb about their kids parents evenings and school reports either but that's another thread lol

[Blueuggboots]

We're not having one. I don't like them. Santa knows what you're up to because I let him know.
We have an elf cam (cost £2!) and use the app PNP.

[VenusClapTrap]

Kids know that things are different in different homes. They don’t question it. We don’t do stockings or turkey either; they’ve never questioned it. And I only buy pictorial advent calendars not chocolate ones; I did wonder if they would ask about that and ask for chocolate ones eventually, but no. In fact I once overheard dd saying to her friend “Picture ones are better because the pictures are nicer”.

[Zofloramummy]

No the kids don’t like the elf, the mother makes it do ‘naughty’ things like eating all their chocolates and ruining things that matter to them and then they cry.

Yes it’s all done for Facebook and Instagram. I personally don’t know the woman but I think it’s sadistic!

[CupCupGoose]

I've told mine that you have to ask santa to send one and I didn't want a naughty elf making a mess every day so I asked santa not to send one.

[Jimdandy]

I’ve got a pound shop elf that just want he’s them and that’s it. They’ve not said anything else.

I don’t do Christmas Eve boxes either, they have asked about them and I’ve just said you get enough toys on Xmas day.

[Cookit]

@Zofloramummy what the hell. So the kids don’t even like it? I assume these hilarious pranks are being posted on Facebook or Instagram though?

[elQuintoConyo]

This...

[Zofloramummy]

I also remember the thread about the TA buying an elf. I thought it was bloody cheeky and massively overstepped.

I have 3!!! My bloody mother bought one last year for dd (7) I’d done so well avoiding it before then. She has bought another 2 this year. Mine are boring, they change the countdown to Christmas blocks and move where they are sitting.

A woman at work was telling me about her ‘friend’ apparently she is obsessed with the elf. It has eaten all of her kids advent chocolates, stolen Xmas, and wrapped up their dining room!! She has even booked annual leave to do ‘tricks’. The kids get really upset and cry but she won’t stop. Such effort to be cruel and all for for likes in insta and fb. Ridiculous

[IaIa3]

Mine have no clue about the elf, I guess the children in school don't talk about it.

[LadyGAgain]

DD is in year 1. We don't have an elf because quite frankly I do not have the time or inclination and she's never queried it so either it's not talked about at school or she's not bothered. Most likely the former A's she's super inquisitive so if she heard about it she would ask.

[tomboytown]

Isn’t it just a bit of fun
I didn’t think they really believed it!?

[Mintypea5]

We don't do it. My sons never asked but I'd just say don't forget mummy used to work for a team focused on surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance... she doesn't need a creepy elf to report to Santa she can find him anywhere