To ask if you don't do Santa/ Elf in the shelf you don't spoil it for others?

[CatWreathkeith]

Last year Dneice was told matter of factly by a 4yo at school there is no such thing as Father Christmas and it's your parents. In reception.

This year another child has told her that you can buy an EOTS from Amazon, because her mum has shown her it.

Why? Why would you do that? Why not say there are only a few elves that get to leave the North Pole and we didn't get one?

Or if your child wants one that badly get a cheap one from the pound shop

Grrr

At some point you need to figure out a way to help them co-exist and live together without making threats at every turn.

Well yes, this is basically the struggle I face every day - they hate each other. I re-read Siblings Without Rivalry monthly! Frankly if this buys me a few weeks of improved behaviour then I'll take it. Maybe they'll notice that they're happier when they aren't being mean to each other.
Otherwise there's boarding school.

Just because Santa isn't coming doesn't mean I have no other tools at my disposal for the rest of the year. Not sure where you got that idea. I am not, however, willing to compromise the strength of any future incentives by giving in in this instance. When they are told the consequences of bad behaviour in advance and behave badly anyway I ALWAYS make sure to follow through. Seems fairly obvious to me even if it seems rather harsher than normal at Christmas.

I didn't make them be mean to each other - it was their choice!