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?

[Nousernameforme]

Snitches get stitches. [Grin]

We did have this conversation today because we do st nicks night where they leave shoes out to get sweeties. I didn't want questions from other parents. So I said this was one of our Christmas traditions other families do things differently some people have elves but we dont

[mamalovebird]

I bought mine Elf pyjamas (b&m £3.99) and told them we don't need a naughty elf as I already have two in the house

[egontoste]

Perhaps the one at your house is invisible - they are magic after all...

[RightOnTheEdge]

I feel like the only person in my town who doesn't do the elf thing. I am not organised enough, I have enough struggles with all the everyday jobs without adding that to it as well.

I don't want to be mean about my friends but it just seems like a massive way for the Mums to show off on Instagram/Facebook.

Thankfully my dc have never asked about it.

I don't actually get it though. I thought the point of them was to sit on a shelf and report back to Santa on the kids behaviour?
Why has, it turned into the elves been naughty and wrecking the house?

[OrangeZog]

Kids have never asked but after reading this thread I’ve decided to tell them that the elf is there it’s just not all of them are visible.

[BikeRunSki]

We’ve never done it. My DC (8 and 11) have never asked.

[Skyejuly]

My younger 2 are 3 and 6 and have never mentioned it. I just said he is creepy

[EllieQ]

Another mum asked DD about this at the nursery Xmas party last year, and I explained that we don’t have an elf because it would be scared of our cat. Our cat is old and grumpy so this is quite plausible! DD hasn’t mentioned it so far this year, and I’m not going to bring it up unless she does.

[merryhouse]

"we don't play the elf game"

[hazeyjane]

I told ds his tooth fairy would get jealous.

[ThisBear]

Parents can ask Santa to send one to visit, is the line I've had on standby.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Oh and make sure to snooze anyone on FB who does it for December. Makes my December much better.

[happypotamus]

DD1 is 8 and started asking last year why we don't have an elf on the shelf like her cousin and friends. I just said 'we just don't.' She has repeatedly asked this year if we can buy one because has seen them in shops. I just say no. I don't have time in my life for that shit. DDs are often still awake when I come home from work at 9.30pm. I leave the house at 6.30am, I sometimes work night shifts, when have I got the time or mental capacity to think up a different stupid thing for an elf to be doing and create it each day? I just say no and assume their childhood is not ruined by my inability to do this.

[Andcake]

Ds 7 yo has never mentioned it - we don't know anyone who has mentioned doing it and we certainly have never seen an elf in anyone we knows house.

Do things your way at home and make up stuff if they ever ask.

It's a long way off😀

[RiftGibbon]

We don't do it. Many of DC's friends do. It's not been an issue.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Mine haven't asked, they are infant and junior school age. Oldest probably no longer believes in FC but I daren't ask. Honestly can't be arsed to move an elf around. I would probably just hide it in various places to find, definitely not creating scenarios for instagram.

We have an elf at work but I rarely leave my office so no chance of spotting it

[headlock]

DS 7 wanted an elf this year so we're doing it. Keeping it a simple as possible. He loves coming down in the morning to see what elf has been up to.
They don't believe for long so much as it's a bit of a hassle we don't mind doing it.

[headlock]

One of my friends once wrapped the three piece suite in wrapping paper!! Certainly not going to those extremes.

[MrsAmaretto]

Well in this house it's all about magic. What you belief in as a family is what magically happens. So mummy doesn't believe in Elf on the Shelf or Easter bunny so it doesn't happen. I do believe in Christmas, Jesus and Saint Nicholas so Santa happens, oh and the tooth fairy. Our good friends are Muslim so don't belief in Elf on the shelf, Christmas, Easter bunny. They do believe the tooth fairy.


So basically - what a mummy believes is the magic that happens in a family.

It also explains why our friends kids only get a stocking from Santa, main present from parents, whereas mine get a stocking and 2 presents. Wish I'd done it my friends way but I never knew families did Santa different!

[treeglass]

I was the same route of couldn't be bothered until I realised I could use it to my advantage
The elf left a note last night telling DS what a messy room he had and that he should tidy it
Ds couldn't get up the stairs quick enough after school and now it's tidy
Bonus

[alliejay81]

I told me then five year old that I thought it infringed his civil liberties 🤷🏼‍♀️. I then told him it was bollocks that Santa didn't bring presents to naughty kids.

He's a creepy little f@&ker (Elf not DC) and I don't understand why parents need to threaten their kids with not getting presents. How do they manage the other 11 months?

[HairyToity]

We've done it this year. DD begged to do it. We got away without till she was 6.

[redandwhite1]

He's never asked! I don't want to do it either!!

[Wilkolampshade]

twitter.com/41Strange/status/1201583940856877058?s=20

[SimonJT]

My son is four and knows santa isn’t real, he knows other children do think santa is real and telling anyone he isn’t real would be unkind. So no silly elf needed!

It means xmas is much simpler and he knows I have to buy everything.