to not understand the need for father's/mother's day gifts

[m0therofdragons]

Now don't get me wrong, I understand that it's a thank you but it's caused drama in our family that I don't get.
We have 3dc. Money isn't free flowing so dh and I agree that actually presents/filling the house with unnecessary stuff is unimportant. Today I gave dh a long lie in and time alone (I took dc out for 2 hours), then after lunch we all went out together, had fish and chips on the beach for dinner. That was it. I did buy dh a bar of chocolate but I do that occasionally anyway. Dc made cards.
Dh happy with this. He calls his parents and spoke to each individually and the first question they each asked him was "what did you get?" Mil also apparently bought dh's dad a gift from dh as she thinks it's wrong he doesn't do anything. Last year he sent mil a mother's day card and she asked if he'd forgotten to put money in! I just don't get it.

Am i going to have to google 'elf on a shelf'? Is this one of those dragon butter/blue waffle MN traps?

Sorry; didn't mean offence.

Elf on the Shelf is a little elf that is sent from Santa to watch the children in the house and report back to the North Pole about their behaviour.

It is supposed to inspire well behaved children during the holidays.

oh thanks Annie - that doesn't sound too hideous. I thought it was going to be something you had to buy/give extra money/gifts for - like the tooth fairy and Easter bunny.

Elf on a shelf is creepy and weird.
[fact]

I'm definitely out of synch with this thread. DD loves her elf. So much so, in fact, that when given free rein to name said elf, she named it after herself...

i'm going to google them now and see what they look like. In my mind they should have terrifying victorian china faces with a sinister smile. That would defo make the dc shit themselves behave i reckon.

Sorry OP, i'll stop derailing now :)

That's fine resipa.
We are all allowed our own opinion.
I think they are a hideous notion. I'm probably alone.

I love our elf on the shelf. Yes, it is evil bribery but it works! Our children are perfect angels for the month of December.

A friend of mine did the elf thing and put loads of effort in creating scenes in which the elf got up to mischief and then there were the Christmas eve pre Christmas elf gifts that everyone seemed to do from the elf... that might just be local to us. We didn't have an elf in our family.

I love my dad, my dh is an amazing dad, neither particularly wanted anything. My dad struggles with birthday ideas and is a nightmare to buy for as his tastes are tricky to get. Dh loves nerdy stuff but we don't have space for more boxes figures and have enough stuff. We'd rather spend the money on a family day out. Me not buying a present for my dad doesn't mean I don't love him. Not sure he'd appreciate a home made photo frame etc from me although I do randomly make biscuits fit him sometimes which is a bit odd of me as mum is an amazing cook.

Mine were good anyway

I quite like the opportunity to give little gifts to my parents and do it for no reason, but even so fathers day and mothers day are just nice days to celebrate them both to me.

My folks are made up whether you spend nothing or loads, they're all about the thought. I gave my dad a framed photo of him and my brother and one of my nephew and niece. My brother died 6 weeks ago and I would have done that even if it wasn't fathers day. My dad loved it.