Is it too early for an Elf On The Shelf rant...?

[NotTakenUsername]

Because he’s already bloody everywhere.
Everywhere!
Why do mums do this to themselves? In the busiest mum month of the year... why add in a creepy little tell tale elf who models bad behaviour and encourages excessive consumption.
I know, I know, if I don’t like it just don’t do it... but I’ve been just not doing it for many, many years now. So I thought I’d throw in a wee MN rant for good measure.

I hate it and routinely unfriendly people who share their 'hilarious' elf photos on Facebook.

However - last November I found a letter DD7 had written to Elf, saying how sad she was because he seems to go to all her friends' houses but never hers, and she was worried he didn't want to visit her. It was the saddest thing ever.

So I bought a cheap Poundland elf, and he wrote her a letter saying he'd always been around but he is just very shy, so she won't have seen him often, but if she ever spots a chocolate decoration on the tree, it was him that left it.

Not too much effort for me, and enough for her.

They're creepy, ridiculous and I don't really see what the point of them is? Just seems like a load of effort for sod all result.

User, last year my family were in the same position as you. it’s even worse this year. In our case its the mummy who has cancer. I’m not normally a great believer in imported American ideas but last year the elf was the cause of great hilarity and distraction over the Christmas period. Mind you there were lots of us available to hide the elf or set him up to be naughty or very naughty so it caused no extra stress. I hope your family and mine together with the very crappy elf manage to have a good Christmas and that your husband is well enough to enjoy it.

We have a pair of them unfortunately. Luckily ours are bone idle and don't always move and never get up to anything that needs posting on Facebook (extra lucky since I don't have Facebook). They just sort of hangabout and sod off. It's fine and the kids like it :)

I’m sorry too user148

Sorry to hear that too Marnalizes

I've never done it, but ds who is 10 (asd) has been asking this year for one, I have been hissing No at him.

I think it's horrible to scare children that something's 'watching them'. Frankly, quite nasty.

It is a fad. Will die down soon. I have never participated in it but each to their own.

I bloody hate the fucking elf and the smug "look at me, aren't I hilarious and the best mum ever" Facebook posts.
I also hate #makingmemories

Who has the time to make a mess then have to clean it all up again I a morning?

User148 & Marnalizes so sorry for your troubles 💐

You do realise you don’t have to tell your children the nasty elf is watching you dont you? I’ve never said such thing, it’s just something to find every morning in the build up to Xmas. Brings them their book advent

One of my colleagues spent the entire team Xmas lunch last year talking about this stuff. Trust me, it's never too early to rant about this :)

We have a family member that does their own version with a Christmas type character. Posts a pic every bloody day, it’s infuriating.

User148
Marnalizes

@mnahmnah makes me wish there were a 'like' button on MN.

I just set it up to do funny things, or hide somewhere. It's not watching them and it's a cuddly one they can play with.

God you're a miserable bunch tonight lol.

We did elf on a shelf last Christmas, he came 12 days before Christmas (same day we planned to do our decorations) I think those that hate it so passionately must start their elf shenanigans wayyyyy to early and have to think of too many things to do. Or if they hate it and dont do it, they secretly resent the fact they aren't making the effort themselves for their own kids.

When they're young enough to believe in little magical people, father Christmas and have real Christmas spirit I'm going to lap it all up. They will soon be too old to believe in any of it!

My DS got ours out at the weekend. I told him it wouldn't work until December. He insisted it would so I let him leave it out with no intention of touching the vile thing.
He got up and was excitedly shouting 'the Elf has moved mummy!". I had not moved it, but unfortunately our massive Siamese cat had and dismembered it all over the kitchen.....

I love our elves! They hide around the house and the kids love getting up and finding them. They don’t “watch the kids” and “report back to Santa”, they are just another Christmas decoration in our house. Not that different to a lot of other decorations people have in their houses in December, it’s just our elves don’t stay in the same place! And sometimes we put them in comical situations.
We love it. It’s fun and harmless and part of Christmas for us. We’ve had visiting elves for about 8 years now

Big hugs to User and Marmalizes

Yabu to remind me of them when I am already exhausted channelling my rage on Christmas eve boxes.

I only know elf on the shelf from people posting a picture every day on social media.

I feel like I could manage it once or twice, on a weekend if everyone had slept well. But every single day, before work with everyone running late, in a month where there are a million jobs and a million social events and presents to organise and everyone is knackered and ill. Just no.

I don't think Christmas Eve boxes are as bad, but it just seems overkill when they get so so much the next day and do so many santa and christmas themed activities all the way through December, I think they are already wound up too much! Surely putting out some bits for santa and reindeer and a stocking is still fun?

Saying that, I do feel guilty about doing neither of these...until I remember how magical Christmas was as a child, with just an advent calendar (pictures no chocs) and a tree and decorations and santa visiting.

People are so stressed and busy nowadays...I don't know why we need to put more pressure on ourselves.

Oh dear, what a bunch of misery guts! If you don't want to do it don't do it, my then 3 year old loved it last year! It wasn't watching her or anything but she loved waking up and finding it. We don't do Xmas eve boxes but we do have our traditions- a new game, a bath bomb and new pyjamas or dressing gown for each of us. What harm does it do? Why would anyone be annoyed?!

Not encouraging this shit. No elves on shelves in my house!

My 8 year old is obsessed with these bloody elves. I’ve told her no way. As if I need more to do. She’s already on the verge of not believing in FC so I don’t want the stress of trying to upkeep another Christmas ‘myth’