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?

[AbbyHammond]

I just tell mine I have too much to do!

[champagneandfromage50]

I absolutely love Christmas as do my DC who are quite a wide age range. However I have never dealt with elf on the shelf.... didn’t even know what it was as I initially assumed it was some horror type thing. Some scary elf that creeps round the house keeping an eye on you but in truth they look like creepy clowns

[froggers1]

I dont get it...my daughter had a friend round the other day and my daughter started getting quite frightened about it creeping about in garden. I told her the mim moved it around and she wouldn't have it. I give up!

[BercowsFestiveFlamingo]

Elf on the shelf is voyeuristic and creepy. There will be no fecking elf on the shelf in our house. Giving inanimate objects magical powers is freaky. I used to worry as a child that toys could actually see me.

It would set off the house alarm too. If it actually did all the things it's rumoured to do, that is.

I keep in touch with FC via email. He's had a few emails this week and is very disappointed so ds is trying really hard to be gentle and do as he is asked. He's 4 and going through a rough stage along with the other kids in his class. Gentle hands=presents. Being rough and hurting people even if you don't mean to=coal. He's now thinking he'll have enough coal to build a real fire outside 🙄 He's actually lovely and won't be getting coal but it's keeping him on his toes 😁

[Whoops75]

I told my dd it would make the pets anxious.

Think it’s insta parent stealth shite the most kids get is 5 seconds of fun out of it.

[joCmummy]

Ok my way around this may be a bit odd, but I make up tons of stories about my kids toys. My DD1s toy moose Olaf's Grammy Moose works for Santa baking cookies. We don't need an Elf, Olaf just calls Grammy. Although this did backfire a bit when DD informed me Olaf told her Grammy was sending special Xmas cookies at Christmas. Still a batch of homemade cookies Vs weeks of a creepy plastic elf is worth it 😁

[zonkin]

Forgot to say that they have never mentioned the Xmas Eve box either. I'm not sure how the Xmas Eve box concept came about.

[Littlebearstrousers]

Dd is 5 and apparently they have a class elf (as if her teacher doesn't have enough to do) so I have neatly side-stepped the whole thing as DD isn't bothered now about having one at home

[TrickyKid]

They don't ask. It's not really a tradition.

[lifeisgoodagain]

I heard about it from Mumsnet, certainly didn't exist 10 years ago when my kids were in primary school

[Lipperfromchipper]

I told them that mummy asked Santa not to send an elf as I am too busy and don’t want an elf making a mess in my house

[emelsie]

My DD has just turned 11 and has never asked about it , I'm not even sure if she's aware that anyone does it, but I certainly was never going to bring it up .no way.

[MWNA]

Today, I told my 5 year old that Santa is a lovely make believe thing. Like unicorns and mermaids. She's not fussed. But then she has ASD and is incredibly literal and logical. She already wasn't falling for it.
So. There's no way we're doing the EOTS nonsense. 🙄

[NotYourTypicalNerd]

We have an elf. I honestly have never taken a picture of it. I make it easy though. I get a puzzle and put a bit of the puzzle in Christmas cracker boxes each night. As the month goes on a different bit of the picture appears. Simple. (This worksas the chocolate comes from a normal cheap Advent calendar)

Note: I have learned it is better to do the puzzle first and give connecting bits rather than random ones that don't for the first few days 🤣

Dd is in year five and most kids don't have them tho so I don't think it will be an issue for you.

[marvellousnightforamooncup]

We don't need an elf, we have a Google speaker that's already spying on us.

[eurochick]

They've never asked. I'd probably tell her I wouldn't have the creepy little fucker in my house if she did.

[Arthritica]

"Some families like to do this. It's not how we do Christmas, because we don't think Father Christmas is interested in spying on you."

I think you're smart to get your answers sorted in your mind. DH and I did the same for "is Father Christmas real" "what about the Tooth Fairy" and "are my jobs and my pocket money linked".

Anticipatating issues and deciding on a stance is a good approach.

[Bromeliad]

When I was little in the late 80's/early 90's my parents used to tell us that tinker bell was watching us for Father Christmas and that she was invisible. I have no idea how they came up with it but it did work. If you're really having problems just tell him your elf is invisible.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

DD is now 9 and a new non-believer in Father Christmas. We never did Elf because I think it's creepy, weird wifework!

Yesterday DD came home and said, "everyone in my class has their elves" and I expected sadness. She then said "but me and William told them 'more like creep on the shelf'" I am not suggesting my version of parenting BTW. But it's clearly effective!

[redexpat]

We have an elf door. No need to dick around. He brings small presents on sundays.

[Picklypickles]

Well I got an elf when my dd was around3ish I think, she made me feel like a complete moron for expecting her to believe that a stuffed toy was moving about the house by himself!

[Livebythecoast]

DD 15 - never had elf on shelf business when she was younger.
However, I'm ashamed to admit when she was naughty around Christmas I would ring 'Santa' (her Dad at work) who would put on a deep gruff voice and tell her to behave. She would come off the phone and cry saying she had been told off by Santa 🤣. I told her when she was older but neither she or DH have ever quite forgiven me

[Nicknacky]

Has EOTS really been around since 2004?! Wow I could have sworn it was a recent thing.

[Merename]

I use the phrase “other people have their own ideas” a lot. DD finds this quite a headfuck!