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.

My hatred of the elf comes from all the bloody Facebook posts. Daily updates on what the smug little bastard has been up to, followed by all the comments underneath of "your such a good mummy hun, your kids are gawjus and sooooooooo lucky"

I'm nearly 30 and had a Christmas Eve present bag every year as a child, it's not new!

We do EOTS, dd loves it. I even post pictures on social media I don't see why there's all the negativity, why does it affect your life?!

It was on our new box of Rice Krispies this morning... so when dc enquired again I cracked and I told them. And I told them I never felt the need to buy one and fake move it around our house because it’s only for children who struggle to have good behaviour.

I dont think I know any parents who use it to monitor behaviour. My DC and their friends would wonder why elves that drank wine, cooked each other in slow cookers, caused chaos with toilet paper and put pants on their head were linked to their poor behaviour.
Society in general suspends belief around Xmas for DC whether it is Santa or elves it is usually considered polite not to pull other people's fantasy efforts down. It is a slightly odd habit but culturally engrained here.

Well you clearly haven't listened to the numerous parents on this thread who don't do it to elicit good behaviour but because it's fun for the children. Just like all the other Christmas traditions.

Don't do it if you don't want to, no big deal, but the snootiness is pathetic.

I dont think I know any parents who use it to monitor behaviour.

Me neither. I also don't know anyone who bought an 'official' elf.

I don't put any kid related stuff on fb, so that applies to the elf.

Don't do it if you don't want to, no big deal, but the snootiness is pathetic.

Agreed. Mind you we get far too much fun out of it to care what anyone else thinks.

I’ve thought it was the stupidest idea ever, since I heard about it about 5 years ago.
I’ve had FB for less time than that, and the hilarious competitive mums posting their elf pictures is fairly amusing.
And that the most time I’d ever waste on such a stupid idea

I don't do it myself as I just can't be arsed don't see the point

But DDs Nursery do it, but they make it educational, so overnight elf has taken away some of the cups and plates how many have we got now and how many has he taken? And overnight Elf has decided that we can only have 2 colours of cup, what colours are they?

Which I think is quite good and probably the original point of him.

Naff naff naff. American cousins do this sort of thing and even they think it’s naff

Sorry, only read page 1 but wanted to send love to user148...... I hope your daughters have some joy at Christmas. Strength and hugs to you and your dear husband.

We have an elf, major moment of weakness.... but our elf doesn’t do naughty things because according to my youngest, he knows you just wouldn’t put up with that nonsense mummy!! Our elf finds a different resting spot most nights, if he doesn’t move the kids think he was to tired. They get a lot of pleasure out of trying to find him with very little effort from me so I don’t mind doing it. He never appears in the house until 6th December either! He’s an awful sense of direction 🙈

I personally wouldn’t. But I don’t begrudge anyone else and don’t see why you’d be bothered about what others do. Live and let live I say!

I don't do EOTS but do have a different festive tradition of spotting people sneering about them on MN. Fa la la la laaaa la la la laaaaaaa.

I am no more bothered by FB posts documenting an elf upside down in a bowl of Shreddies than I am by the cat pictures and photographs of a mediocre spag bol.

I do it, and to be honest which I had never started it, however because I was fairly lax and refused to do buy anything with it in the first place DS has some great memories of the elf tricks.

However if I could go back 4/5 years ago, I would never of started the fucking thing

Whoever mentioned Harry Potter, I can see us with a Dobby on the Shelf, though I am not sure what tradition Dobby would embody.

Well, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my little rant and your responses, thanks to everyone who joined in!
Luckily my little confession about him hasn’t yet opened the floodgates to asking about other things and if they are real... didn’t think that one through really.
Bloody Rice Krispies... bloody Elf On The Shelf!

Merry November 10th!

I had the most wonderful conversation with the lady on the till in Waterstones a couple of weeks ago. Cant remember now how we got on to it but we were talking about the Elf on the Shelf shite and we agreed that "in our day" the threat of no Xmas presents was enough. Its what we both do with our children and we agreed that our way was best and anyone who does Elf on the Shelf has either too much time on their hands or not enough brain cells.

I have only met her once but I now consider her a friend:o

I've thoroughly enjoyed realising how many ppl agree with me about the shite elf.

Is there a sneering Christmas Eve box thread? I have commented on one in previous years and feel the traditional irritation at all the 'cosy pjs/hot choc' bollocks coming back to me....

My DDiL used to do it and I loved seeing the pictures on Facebook She was very creative, and it was fun. Last year the children asked if she was moving the elf, so he 'went to another family' at the end of Christmas.

I avoided the elf on the fucking shelf for years. Then last year DD came home from her friends house with one. DD had admired friends one and had a conversation with the mum about us not having one so next time DD went round it brought a friend round with a little note saying it would love to be DD's elf and the mum sent me this whole long message about how great it is and how much better behaved her kids are with elf to tattle on them to Father Christmas, so then I had to do the sodding elf because DD was all excited about it

I'm all up for a bit of Christmas magic, I love Christmas, I just really hate the creepy elf.

R cx

If any of mine begged for a Christmas elf to get up to pranks in the house they’d come downstairs to find Bride of Chucky in a Santa hat. That’d put a stop to it. Absolute shite.

And where did these Christmas Eve boxes come from? And what’s the point of them?

Terrified of the bloody creepy little perverts.

anyone who does Elf on the Shelf has either too much time on their hands or not enough brain cells.

How charming you both sound.

Personally I'm more than happy to make time for something my kids enjoy so much.

Admittedly last year was tough as I was working very long hours and pregnamt, but it was absolutely worth it.

Christmas Eve boxes aren’t for children though are they? No child surely would be excited about new pyjamas and hot chocolate - it’s for parents who document everything on social media I assume.

I thought that particular tradition hadn’t made it to Australia but I saw boxes actually for sale the other day for about $30 - nothing even in them! I just cannot fathom who in their right mind would think this was a good Xmas add on at the most expensive time of the year - a wooden box with “Christmas Eve” written on it. So bizarre.