to think that elves on the shelves are stupid?

[silvercup]

I belong to another parenting forum and there are lots of people on there excitedly talking about their elves on the shelves. And I don't really get the appeal.

Surely the magic of Father Christmas is that he's real? You won't see him leave the presents, but he's a living, breathing man. Whereas this elf is quite clearly to any child's eye just a TOY. Does not that dilute the magic of Father Christmas? Make it more likely that children will realise he's not real?

I also think that I must be a really lazy mother, but I really would not relish having to come up with ideas for that elf for the whole of December or whatever. I have enough to do and once DD is in bed all I want to do is watch Eastenders thanks. There seems to be an almost competitive edge to these women, & most irritatingly of all, this is American crap people.

AIBU?

Some of us do

The Santa thing is also stupid. When religious people teach their children about deities and spirits and what not, at least they too believe in those things.

We don't have one (despite being a dastardly American bent on destroying all your grand British traditions with my tacky proms and Halloween mania :o) but my aunt sent me an email saying she bought one for DS and it's on its way apparently.

It's fine, DS will think it's fun. Friends of mine have garden gnomes in their yard that are always in different places and their DDs (8 and 7) are convinced they don't move by themselves, surely not, and yet... :). It's just a bit of fun