Elf on the shelf is shit, isn’t it?

[MustardScreams]

I’m being ridiculed at work for not doing this for dd. Apparently I’m ‘ruining the magic of christmas’

It’s ridiculous though! Who has the time and energy to think up bonkers things to do with an elf for 25 frigging days?! Surely the magic of presents and Santa is enough ffs. Also it’s just playing into commercialism blah blah rant rant rant.

[MissConductUS]

I dunno. I rather like Elf on the shelf, but I don't move him everyday.

[katand2kits]

Yes, it's a load of nonsense and I also refuse to do it.

[Magpiefeather]

Yeah, properly shit.

It’s a fad, it will fall out of favour. I’m not doing it either.

[BillHadersNewWife]

It's just more crap to think about! There's enough to organise without remembering to put the stupid elf in a new position. My friend does it and posts a picture of the bloody thing every single day on Facebook.

"Look what he's up to now!"

NOBODY CARES!

Apart from the other parents who say "Oh shit I forgot! I'm nicking your idea"

Which she got from Pinterest anyway.

It was a very clever marketing thing from someone who'd been doing it for his family for years but there are all those pound shop ones on the market and they're tacky!

[RolytheRhino]

Yes. Christmas was plenty magical when I was small before the whole elf on the shelf fad (which mainly exists for the purposes of social media showing-off).

[BillHadersNewWife]

Someone on here said their child's teacher was doing it for the kids...and the Mum walked into the classroom for something and picked it up and the kid almost passed out because apparently, if you touch the elf, it dies or something!

[ChanklyBore]

It is shit. And it ruins Father Christmas IMO. Kids are kids, they aren’t stupid, it plays into the whole Santa is watching thing. I love the magic bit and very much do Father Christmas stuff, but stretching it out for a whole month wrecks it.

[Ihatesandwiches]

I love our Elf! But I don't do Christmas Eve / December the 1st boxes, festive duvets covers..... so it is just the Elf and an advent calendar.

[GladAllOver]

Another American import.
We have enough traditions of our own.

[HoneyandSpice]

You don't have to engage in every single trend. I've found the best way was to make our own traditions. I know Mum's who are knackered, but still feel they have to come up with new Elf ideas every night in December. They probably fucking hate it.
It's another reason I've stopped using Social Media.
My DD is aged 7 btw. She's not feeling neglected by not having the Elf / North Pole Breakfast etc... We do lots of other stuff like making a wreath for the door, a gingerbread house, and going to the local theatre to see the Christmas production. Which also involves a nice, quiet time to look at Fenwicks window afterwards.

[ActualHornist]

It’s fucking stupid and how can it be ‘ruining’ Christmas when to my knowledge it was only thought up about five years ago!

[dementedpixie]

Didnt exist when mine were young enough to believe thank goodness. It's a relatively new thing

[LucileDuplessis]

YANBU. It is shit and I've never done it for my DC.

[PinkiOcelot]

I think it’s shit. So pleased it wasn’t around when my 2 were young.

[MesmorisedByTheLights]

It's stupid. Christmas is already commercialised to hell and back, why add more?

[CheshireChat]

I like it- I don't necessarily do it everyday and I think that I only did it for 12 days so completely on my terms.

Most of the fun is the fact it simply moves about from DS's POV.

[Bawdrip]

What I don't get is the elves are supposed to be watching and noting who is being good, yet they seem to be set up as doing something naughty every day. It makes no sense.

[TiceCream]

Personally I don’t like the idea of indoctrinating my kids into believing they’re constantly being watched and any undesirable behaviour will be noted and punished. Also the elf is creepy as hell. Who wants a sneaky little grass in their house who dobs them in to Santa?

[GingersAreLush]

I bowed to pressure from my youngest last year who wrote a letter to Santa asking if he could spare an elf to come and visit us and now we have a bastard elf. It’s not something I would choose to do as like you, I don’t see the point. But it made him so happy the elf “chose our family to visit”.

[MustardScreams]

@HoneyandSpice what is a North Pole breakfast?!

I’m not going to do it, I was just amazed at the fact that apparently it’s the norm now for children and no one could understand why I wasn’t doing it!

[SinisterSparkle]

Yes its shit. And it's gone from being about the kids to parents competing silently with each other.........strange

[Somebodystired]

YANBU and I have refused to do this, along with christmas eve boxes. It's just more and more every year. If someone wants to do it then that's great for them, but i am capable of creating a wonderfully magic Christmas for my kids without them!

[SnugglySnerd]

I hate the idea of "Santa watching" etc. I have never told my kids he will not come if they are naughty because 1) that would be an empty threat and 2) I give them Christmas presents unconditionally because I love them. So no Elf here.

[HoneyandSpice]

Sorry, that sounded a bit shit when I said you don't have to engage in every single trend.
What I should have said was I've got to that stage in life where I'm happy to say no to something if I, personally think it's bullshit and I will not be pressured into it.

[Far2go46]

It's worse than all that Jesus nonsense