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.

[MinecraftHolmes]

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.

I think this the most batshit thing that anyone has ever accused people of being jealous of

People hate the extra layers of commercialism getting added on to Christmas and it's jealousy/guilt that we're not "making the effort" for our poor elfless children

[NotTakenUsername]

Thanks to (almost) all the sane people who have commented in agreement about what absolute nonsense it is.
I won’t get started on Xmas eve boxes or (oh dear lord!) 1st December boxes...?!
Definitely not jealous, but that post made me smile.

[RayRayBidet]

@shearwater
Lol! Yes sneering is cheaper, I use Tesco economy sneers. Significantly cheaper than an elf on the shelf.

[CheshireChat]

Really don't think that the £2 ish the elf costs is an issue for most.

I think it's fun and it's yet another little element that we've blended in as we're already using traditions from two different cultures.

I'm just hoping St Nick's with his boots becomes a thing here as it will make DS more excited about it (before I get slated it's traditional for my birth country).

[ghostbox]

Thanks to (almost) all the sane people who have commented in agreement about what absolute nonsense it is.

But Father Christmas is nonsense. Leaving mince pie & milk etc is nonsense. Leaving out stockings is nonsense. You can pick and choose which nonsense you take part in but I don't see why it's ok to look down on people who do different kinds of nonsense to you.




Did I say "nonsense" enough?

[ghostbox]

My ds has just turned 3. All his cousins have one so I'm sure we'll do it at some point. I reckon he'll love it and I'll get joy from seeing him love it. That's what it boils down to right?

[roboticmom]

My kids were desperate for one because they thought it was real- and why didn't they have an elf? I didn't quite understand how real they thought it was- so I made up the 'Roll of Tape Having a Jape' since it was lying around after wrapping presents. I stuck it somewhere new every night. Unfortunately it brought up all sorts of what's real questions and I wasn't ready to let go of Santa yet.

Christmas is already full of traditions I refuse to add more to what was already perfect. I think Tape Having a Jape has stuck though. lol the kids are already asking for it. I think what bothers me is the band wagon effect and kids feeling left out so you almost HAVE to do it now.

[TeaByTheSeaside]

Totally agree with you.

[PutItAwayDear]

DS (8) has ASD/ADHD and flipping loves our Elf. We've got a soft non creepy looking one fuck those scary hard plastic things and rather than being sent to 'watch' DS which would totally freak him out, Elf has been sent to learn how to behave better himself. DS delights in making sure Elf has behaved well and genuinely works hard to set a good example every December 😂 Elf then leaves him a small gift by way of thanks when he buggers off -back into a drawer with Santa on Christmas Eve.

Basically our house is a boot camp for badly behaved elves.

[MrsTommyBanks]

I'm so glad my kids are adults.
Elf on a shelf is just so many kinds of wrong.
All I had was Father Christmas can see you, when they were naughty two weeks before 25th December

[BananasAreTheSourceOfEvil]

fucking hate that elf. Nosy little creepy bastard.

Not in our house.

[WheelchairWoes]

I'm so glad my children are older. We've missed all these crazes. What is the Christmas Eve Box?

Our only tradition is putting out shoes for St Nikolas on the night of the 5th

[NoLeslie]

My kids are too old for the elf stuff. But they have got into Friends so I am tempted to make some new blessed memories with Holiday Armadillo That Stays On The Fucking Pillow. Just for the Facebook elf brigade.

[MrsTommyBanks]

@NoLeslie that's actually an awesome idea.

[ZigZagIntoTheBlue]

I got 'kindness elves' last year after a tricky behaviour time with my son. You do a kind act each day and the elves dh write to you too say well done and suggest new nice things to do. None of it went on social media though as there's no need!

[EK36]

Not doing it this year as last year, it took up too much effort!

[Chickychoccyegg]

we've done the elf's for the last 5 year's, my kids absolutely love it (events older ones that know it's me) we have a soft toy elf, the elf hides/moves during the night, ive bought a couple of little bits and bobs over the years as props, not too much effort and as I said the kids love it, so for me it's worth it (they get out of bed for the whole of December without moaning😂)
I don't know why people that don't do it would waste time and energy hating something that doesn't affect them in any way, (also I've never posted our elf on fb ever, and I don't look at anyone else's elf pics either as I have no interest in what anyone else is doing)

[13thWarriorWitch]

The only type of elf I want creeping about my house at night are the ones that mend shoes (and do the housework please)

[DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops]

If people want elves, fine but I think they're creepy. And they're unbearably smug on fb. The only elf I would like in my house is one on loan from Hogwarts. Life time loan.

The Dec 1st stuff just seems too much. I remember just being excited to have my advent calendar! Wasn't there also some hoo-ha a couple of years ago about special "North Pole Breakfasts" on Dec 1st? Do people really do that or did it get rightfully laughed into oblivion?

[HelenaDove]

I thought these elves were just another Christmas ornament that sat on a shelf and stayed there. I didnt realize there was all this moving it around every night to be done.

[thighofrelief]

Had never heard of it but sounds really fun. Sadly my kids are too old for any of this malarkey though, they would have loved it.

I would have had to rein in my evil streak though. Elf in the loo, Elf in litter box, Elf badly melted, Elf with ketchup head wound.

[LaurieMarlow]

I love it, it's great fun. DS adores it. Goes to sleep excited about what the elf will get up to. Bounces out of bed in the morning to find it. Its a great addition to Christmas in my house.

Our elf plays no role in surveillance and cost €5.

I've never understood why it evokes such hatred on here, but shrug, I don't care what anyone else does.

[Notevenmyrealname]

It’s a made up tradition started in the US specifically designed as an elaborate marketing exercise. The book was written after the doll was made and the whole thing is an elaborate money making scheme. Having previously worked in marketing, and understanding on quite a fundamental level the insidious and cynical nature of all marketing and PR activity, I particularly despise this and plenty of other invented “traditions”, so my solution in recent years is just to avoid the shops as much as possible during the build up to Christmas.
I made crafty advent calendars last year out of kitchen rolls and tissue paper (I’m a sahm so appreciate that I have the luxury of having a bit more time than most) and put a few sweets in it but also little things like Christmas badges and hair clips and things to do for the day like a Christmas walk, decorating the tree or a Christmas movie night. I did put a lot of effort in and to be fair, they probably would have been happy enough with a Cadbury’s one from the supermarket but I enjoyed doing it for them and I didn’t feel like I was being conned into spending loads of money. My advice is just to snooze the people on FB who do it for 30 days and to do your shopping online as much as possible. It will keep your stress levels much lower. 😉

[LaurieMarlow]

Good lord, all traditions have to start somewhere. If you delve a bit, I'm sure you'll find most have a marketing genius behind them.

Just imagine mumsnet in the 1840s (or whenever).

aibu to hate these new fangled Christmas trees. Awful German import. What's wrong with putting a bit of holly on a log? Now that's a proper tradition

I don't really get objections to them on the grounds of consumerism. Most people I know have a cheapy, non official elf and apart from initial outlay (€5 in my case) they cost nothing.

[plaidlife]

We have some fat fluffy gnome things, they are rather large. Honestly some nights I think offs the elves need to do something. Sometimes the elves do something pretty bad. They make me smile with their drinking, messing and poor ways. DC are already 10, how much longer before they are too old? No time at all. They are a very small outlay, they cost nothing to maintain. The animals are much more hassle to be honest as well as the dc.