Someone bought an elf for DD

[Yabbers]

Got a call from school today, a staff member was talking with DD yesterday and DD told her she was going to write to Santa to ask for an elf on the shelf.

Staff member bought one and left it at her desk this morning so DD thinks Santa has done as she asked.

I've a huge problem with the whole elf thing, happy for others to do it, it's just not for us.

We're under a lot of pressure for a number of reasons and now we've
got to spend each bloody night doing something with this damned elf. AiBU to be really pissed off that someone else has done this to us?

[Fairenuff]

I actually would tell the school OP because that staff member needs more safeguarding training.

I wonder what other gifts they buy for children who they considered to be deprived of something. It's really not ok for them to do be doing this and the HT should be made aware of it.

safeguarding best practice

From the link above:

'Gifts, loaning and borrowing
Avoid giving pupils gifts and lending or borrowing items. There are issues of power, control and equality involved in these areas. Pupils should be discouraged from offering gifts to staff.'

[carringtonm]

I second PP. This is a safeguarding concern. Speak to the school because a staff member should not be behaving in this way, no matter how well-meaning it is.

[Elphie54]

Does your daughter still believe that the creepy elf is real and really talks to Santa? If you really don’t want her to have it, you could make the elf vanish and leave a note in its place:

“Dear _,

You have been such a good girl this year (yes we elves check during the year but you can’t see us) that I am not needed here. Santa has asked me to return so I can go keep my eyes on another child who is being naughty.

Happy Christmas,
the Elf

P.S. just because you don’t see me, doesn’t mean I am not watching”

[Gatehouse77]

Having done plenty of safeguarding training there is absolutely NO safeguarding issue here AT ALL.

It's simply a member of staff who has overstepped the mark and, if it were me, would be held accountable but not in an accusatory way but a don't do this again kind of way.

[Gatehouse77]

Gifts, loaning and borrowing
Avoid giving pupils gifts and lending or borrowing items. There are issues of power, control and equality involved in these areas. Pupils should be discouraged from offering gifts to staff.'

If there were a pattern then can see that argument being used. However, it appears to be a one off. Which is why I would say something in case a pattern needed to be detected.

[ReanimatedSGB]

I don't think anyone's advocating trying to get the teacher sacked, but someone does need to have a word with him/her and suggest it doesn't happen again.
@Fairenuff I thought some schools now have a policy of loaning uniform items to kids who haven't got them or have lost/damaged/outgrown them and the family can't afford a replacement. (Am pretty sure many primary/infant schools have a few spare pairs of trousers etc for reception kids who might have the odd accident).

[Fairenuff]

Staff do stock spare clothes for toileting accidents, yes. These are usually expected to be washed at home and brought back. Obviously it's in the best interests of the child not to be left in soiled/wet clothes.

School would not supply uniform to families who cannot afford it without first getting permission and agreement from the parent/caregiver. They usually 'sell' them for 50p or something affordable, or just ask for any donation so that the parent does not have to feel embarrassed about receiving charity (not that there's anything to be embarrassed about but some people are).

Both of these situations are concerning the welfare of the child and are completely different to over stepping the boundary by providing not only a gift to the child but a toy that the parent did not actually want the child to have.

[SweetheartNeckline]

Completely innappropriate and suggests a lack of safeguarding training and/or critical thought about why such training exists. It's normalising gifting from a position of trust which is grooming behaviour (NOT suggesting staff member is actually grooming) as well as normalising ignoring parental and family boundaries.

My DD2 would love an Elf. I'd be fucking raging if school singled her out to give her one from "Santa" - we don't have one as my eldest DD is terrified of being watched and has enough anxiety and guilt about any minor (perceived) bad behaviour without there being another "wintness".

[GoldenWonderwall]

We don’t do elf on the shelf because it is utter bollocks and I can’t be arsed. My dc are obviously utterly denied any of the magic of Christmas and should probably be removed by ss.

The sheer number of posts about the elf breaking its leg so it can’t get up to pinterest shit proves that even the people that buy into the magic of a made up story by an American woman a few years ago, are not really filled with the joys of Xmas as they set up their elf sized remake of the Sistine chapel out of chocolate fingers and Cheerios.

[Looneytune253]

I would say leave it at school and it has to get up to it’s tricks there at school. May take a cpl of days but I’ll bet the teacher is sick of it 😂😂

[TheDarkSideOfTheMoon]

That’s why as soon as my kids asked if the santa was real - l was like - NOPE 🙄 and Christmas is not about fat, bearded old man bringing you presents at all so l’m the one buying presents for you - better be nice to me 😂