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 have managed to avoid it til now, but DP bought one of the smug little gits home from Tesco last week. Conveniently, he works away in the week so I'll be the one waking up in the night remembering that I haven't moved the bloody thing! I don't really have time for this shit but I know the kids will love it! (I might keep hiding it throughout the year to piss off DP)!

It's just a cynical way of screwing more money out of people. Same as xmas eve boxes.

I wonder what else they could invent for the run up to PresentMass Day.

A new outfit for every day in December?

The 23rd December could be Buy New Gold Jewellery Day

How about Vodka and Diamonds Day?

Alongside carrots and mince pies, perhaps Santa and his reindeer could be bought an iPad and a voucher for afternoon tea at Dorsia's.

The possibilities are endless as the high street names begin to panic about their precious profits.

File under "shit from Mumsnet that no-one does in real life", like worry about wearing a cream floral dress to a wedding, and how often you change the bed linen.

Never heard of it. No great loss, it seems.

I only heard about this last year. Seems super creepy. Where's it come from?

I wonder what else they could invent for the run up to PresentMass Day.

First of December boxes are now a thing too, although for me it's an "only on Mumsnet" thing.

I have a bottle of gin on the shelf that moves a bit every day.

I fucking love them. In fact—I love them so much I have two on my kitchen windowsill all year round. My god I’m tragic. But they’re so creepy and weird that I oddly adore them

What in the name of Pere Noel is a Christmas Eve box ?

Yanbu. Terrible idea.

My turn to help you out, WithA

Apparently it's a box of some or all of the following:

New pyjamas
DVD
Hot Chocolate
Other snacks

Years ago in desperation I resorted to getting the fairy down from the loft and putting her on the mantelpiece and told DD who was about 6 or so then that she was there to "report back" to Father Christmas.
Not my finest hour but was at the end of my rope with DD.
Found fairy stuffed down the back of the sofa a few days later with her head pulled off.
Still gets brought up by adult DD now (she's quite apologetic about it) :)

Ah thanks BadLad. Nope, not doing that. We have a Christmas Eve birthday in our family, so I have an iron clad excuse not to go in for any extra Christmas Eve crap .

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/ethical_living/3417701-Anyone-ready-for-an-anti-consumerist-movement

Op’s New thread!

First of December boxes are now a thing too

Get out of town!

We've been doing it a few years and now I'm stuck with it. He doesn't do naughty things though, can't be arsed with that, he just hides every day. They talk about him all year though and I just don't have the heart to sack him off yet! It's amusing how worked up people get on here about what other people do at Christmas. Wouldn't life be boring if everyone was the same?

First of December boxes 

The local Perfect Facebook Parent round here does them. I've hidden her posts already.

Oh balls sorry - my last post was supposed to be for another thread .

I'm not the biggest fan, but my dc were desperate for one, as a lot of other kids have them. So I got one. I think it isn't hurting anyone so I don't see why I shouldn't.

We don't have an official one, just an elf toy. And our one doesn't report back to Santa, because I hate that. They do do some things the dc find funny (like drawing moustaches on family photos etc) but not every day. And I don't post about it on Facebook.

Elf on the Shelf is no more dire than these sneery threads that pop at without fail every year. You're not a better parent/person for looking down at others who do choose to do this.

I started doing it a couple of years ago and my dd (who was 3 at the time) absolutely loved it. We didn't buy the actual Elf on the Shelf as I don't like the look of that particular one, but bought An Elf for Christmas instead which is more like a cuddly toy. I don't take photos of it, I don't post on social media what the elf is up to, I don't use the elf to threaten my dd into behaving or use it to spy on her, it isn't naughty and it doesn't make a mess. It moves around the house- sometimes sat reading a book, sometimes sat on the Christmas tree, sometimes sat on a toy horse...it's not onerous, time consuming or messy but it gives me dd a lot of pleasure and fun. She loves the elf coming to stay and seeing what it's doing each morning when she gets up.

If you don't like the EotS then that's fine but there's no need to look down on those who do enjoy doing it. I don't do Christmas Eve boxes but I don't feel the need to belittle those who do do it. Each to their own. Live and let live.

My 14 yr old does it for his 6 and 3 yr old siblings, this year he's roped the 12 yr old brother in to. I can't get worked up about it tbh. It's not an every year thing, just a bit of fun.

I don’t mind elf on the shelf. Do whatever makes you happy. But it’s the daily posting on Facebook showing it off that gets to me. I’ve unfollowed one relative who does crazeeeee things with her elf, like pretending it’s on the loo or it’s drunk a bottle of beer. 24 days of its bloody wacky hijinx.

Yes, 1st December boxes are a thing. I know quite a few mums who do them. There’s also a business round here who send a costumed Disney princess to your house to deliver your kid’s advent calendar. It seems like the 1st is becoming another holiday.

Wow, you lot are a barrel of laughs aren’t you
We’ve had an elf for 6 years. He’s no trouble at all and the kids love him. Sometimes he pulls elaborate pranks, but mostly he plays with whatever toys the kids have left around the house, or hides in drawers/cupboards/the fridge or behind cushions etc. Takes me 5 minutes before I go to bed. Oh, and ours doesn’t tattle to Santa, he comes to help the kids
pass the time between 1 Dec and Christmas Day. We all get leaky eyes when he goes home after Christmas, really miss that little guy when he’s not here.

@mnahmnah I will so be posting this. Probably around the 10th 😂

Elf on the Shelf is no more dire than these sneery threads that pop at without fail every year. You're not a better parent/person for looking down at others who do choose to do this.

Sneering is cheaper and takes a hell of a lot less effort though and is a lot more fun than fannying about with elves.

www.digitalspy.com/tv/loose-women/news/a868478/loose-women-denise-welch-christmas-rant/