To be annoyed by extravagant elves?

[dontcallmeduck]

My social media is full of joyous parents sharing the antics of their elves. All fine, I even partake myself.

But why are the elves now bringing Christmas pyjamas, selection boxes, gifts, teddies and even tickets to events? Surely this is going to cause endless confusion amongst children whose elves (if they even have one) don’t???

Why can’t those gifts come from the parents?

It’s the waste that gets me fair enough just moving the creepy little shit about but I seen someone whose elf had spray the bathroom with an entire can of shaving foam. Wtf sod the planet huh.

Our elves brought the kids advent calendars but that’s it, they are cheeky elves so get up to all sorts but won’t be giving more gifts. I told my daughter not to say anything about the advent calendars as not all children get them.

We had magically appearing advents and Christmas Eve boxes before we had the elf. The elf just moves sometimes in ours. If my elf wants to bring an iPad or a Xbox why the bell not 🤷🏻‍♀️ My children would be getting it without a label attached anyway so elf or Santa take your pick.

What is this elf thing?

If you’re partaking in something a lot of people think is tacky and verging on sinister anyway I wouldn’t judge.

The way most people do it it’s literally moving a soft toy around the house.

Get a grip

People have always done these things. There just want the whole elf malarkey and there wasn't social media.

Kids are really innocent about all this Christmas stuff in general. Most just accept that their Christmas stuff is what they do and they don't seem half so bothered about what others do as their parents are. Some have elves, some don't. Some have Christmas Eve treats, some don't. Some have stockings and some don't. Some don't celebrate Christmas at all. And the children just seem to manage and cope with the differences no problem at all, in my experience of working with infant children for the most decade or more.

We had Christmas PJs growing up. I'm in my 40s. My dd has always had a Christmas fairy who brings PJs on Christmas Eve - she's 17y.

We used to go to the pantomime most years growing up, plus visits to Santa. An Elf didn't bring them but they were still Christmas time gifts and treats. Not everyone had them, but that was fine. Some friends had Christmas activities we didn't have.

WTF is a christmas eve box?

@Aragog

They haven't always done these things, it's social media that's made them exist, along with people with more money than sense. This whole family has matching pj's have only been in shops 2-3 years, but they are now must haves ...

why should what other people do with their children/family impact you? Maybe they save all the money to do these things at Christmas and instead of just doing it want to create a bit more magic by giving the elf credit.

ignore what others do, and as I tell my children different parents have different rules, and ways of doing things. I would hope as an adult you could see that and teach your children to be grateful and happy with what they have rather than what they don't.

As a child my friend went on lots of holidays and had big family parties at Christmas. I was happy hearing about her stories not thinking it's not fair. children these days seem to want more and can't be happy for their friends who have things they don't.

Every year my kids ask for EOTS and every year I tell them I value my sanity enough to not play silly games with a toy elf they no very well is not real.

They get plenty spent on them for Christmas.

This year the mums of social media are taking their kids to Lapland. Ok if you can afford it, but filming the moment their kids find out for SM is a bit much.

Sinister? Creepy? I can’t begin to imagine how pathetic you would have to be to find a bloody elf on the shelf creepy 😭

This whole family has matching pj's have only been in shops 2-3 years, but they are now must haves

They’re really not.

I don’t do matching pjs. I do other stuff. I feel no pressure and neither do I piss on other people’s choices.

I don’t find this to be terribly difficult.

We've lost ours. Hunted high and low. The kids keep looking for it, but think that it's just very well hidden.

I can’t begin to imagine how pathetic you would have to be to find a bloody elf on the shelf creepy

I know right?

Also my (non official, 5 euro) elf is adorable.

My elf just moves from room to room, nothing fancy. My kids get new pjs at the beginning of dec and they get an xmas eve box which consists of a book, christmas dvd and some sweets, just to keep them occupied while I peel veg.

I've unfollowed 3 mums from 30th November as I get bored senseless with people who post about the "exciting" things their elves are getting up to every bloody day. No one cares and showing off on facebook does not make you a better parent!

I think YABU

I find the elf funny, so we got one per child - the eldest just humour the youngest ones who still believe, it's sweet. My elves don't bother bringing tickets because the kids do know we are going to all the usual Christmas anyway.

We don't go into the all "Christmas Elf breakfast" because if the 01st falls on a weekday - which it mainly does!, I can't be bothered to deal with that before work.

I don't see the point of Christmas Eve boxes, we do have a Christmas Eve party anyway, and the kids don't need pjs for that.

I love the sharing on social media, that's where I get all my ideas! Just steal the best ones for you, and ignore the rest.

Life is only a competition when you make it one.

Also, if social media is pissing you off, just block the offending posters. That’s dead easy too.

We just mostly move ours about and occasionally do the odd mischievous thing like messing about with toilet paper.

DP bought two of the fuckers and this year DS's absolute favourite teddy has joined in the mayhem so that's my sole complaint.

I don't judge anyone for their Christmas traditions, we sure had a couple of unusual ones in our family.

What I do carry issue with people who do things almost exclusively so they can 'show off' on social media.

Well that is basically what social
Media is for, isn’t it?

Thankfully all this crap passed us by, but I thought the whole point of the elf was that he/she/it was there to keep a surreptitious eye on the kids and report back to FC on whether the kids had been naughty or nice.

Elves giving out presents just ain't it IMO.

Creepy, shifty, dodgy little blighters anyway.

I don’t do the elf because I cannot be arsed. It’s just one more thing for me to forget to do and feel like shit about the next day.

I do like seeing other people’s tho

I do Christmas Eve box. I’ve got 3DC, every other year the eldest 2 are their Dads, leaving just me and youngest. I mostly do it to distract her from the fact that she doesn’t have a Dad to go to And when all 3 are here I do it so that they have stuff to do whilst I crack on with prepping for Christmas Dinner

but I seen someone whose elf had spray the bathroom with an entire can of shaving foam. Wtf sod the planet huh

I wouldn’t say this is a major cause of climate change though, would you?

Though my elf is considerate enough to only partake in low mess mischief

" I can’t begin to imagine how pathetic you would have to be to find a bloody elf on the shelf creepy 😭"

It's the idea that the elf is watching your children all the time that is creepy.
Plus...it's creepy looking.

Oooh, I hate the surveillance camera shite, never have and never will do that