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?

We've got some nice things planned but I fully intend to take all the credit.

Father Christmas will bring one main present and some little bits in a stocking. Everything else (presents, decorations, days out etc) is there because mum & dad work hard for it.

I am happy for Santa to take the credit. I love the magical wonder of Christmas for kids.

My 16 year old actually thanked me the other day for all the Christmases she has had. That was worth more than anything to me.

Wifework

Is this one word post supposed to mean something

Itsrebekahvardysaccount

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend that’s another discussion entirely

What’s another discussion entirely

Depends on family, my mum is one of 17, my dad one of 8, dh family is one of 6 and then he has his father and his step mother.... then his step dads family

Oh wow, that's a huge family. Fair point then.

stucknoue Mon 02-Dec-19 16:44:48

They haven't always done these things, it's social media that's made them exist, along with people with more money than sense

Well not quite the case is it?
My siblings and I had Christmas Eve PJs in the 70s, well before social media. I went to pantomimes and christmas events back then too.
My DD had a Christmas Fairy bringing PJs and chocolate when small, 17y ago, so before the big SM stuff.

Not matching, but then I don't actually know anyone who actually has matching PJs for Christmas.

So, lots of these special Christmas events and activities did indeed happen well before Social media. Not by an elf, but often they 'just appeared' under the general Christmas guise. Knew lots of friends who had similar stuff growing up too - and we were not well off by any means.

But it is true. It's all over our social medias to prove it.

I have seen ONE elf on a shelf post on my FB feed since yesterday. And it was just a general post about getting the tree and advent calendars, etc out. No follow ups. No idea how many of my friend's children have them, though know some do as have seen them when i have visited their homes. Never seen them post them on FB or Instagram though.

Maybe it is just the type of FB friends some people choose to have???

I only have a set number of friends on there and regularly cull to ensure it is really only people I still know and am actually friendly with.

I don’t see any elf on the shelf on my SM. It’s all a bit 2014 putting everything on Facebook isn’t it?

@Aragog you are right maybe I follow the wrong people . My friends has just wrapped up her sofa and her tv in wrapping paper. Not even the recyclable kind no the stuff with glitter on. Maybe I need a cull.

@Loopytiles. Exactly my thoughts. More fucking wifework. And I’m sick of it.

Oh my god that’s brilliant 🤣

I've seen a couple of elf pictures on fb, which I have swiftly snoozed until after Christmas (I love that feature). My kids are too young, but when the time comes I'm planning to tell them we cant have an elf here because they're scared of the dogs (the dogs do have form for eating toys left on the floor so not much of a reach).

We dont really do a xmas eve box, (or a 1st December box/breakfast which is apparently also a thing now) but I do have xmas pjs for ds, and an xmas baby grow for dd, which they will get on xmas eve. Maybe next year we might do something more on xmas eve, ds will be a month off turning three then so it will probably mean a lot more to him then. I'm looking forward to starting new family traditions but I think we'll try and keep it simple, take cards and cookies to the neighbours, have hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie, put a carrot and a mince pie out for Santa. I'm not going down the road of a box for xmas eve, as well as gifts on xmas day.

Our Christmas Eve box is normally pretty much everything we would buy anyway to enjoy a relaxed Christmas Eve once or twice has there been a present. New pjs (not matching) got to look good in the morning, a Christmas book to read, a Christmas dvd to watch, pop corn and hot chocolate with marshmallows for watching with said dvd.

I always grew up getting new pjs (to look our best) watching a Christmas movie and having a Christmas story so it just continued on to my children.

Do you think elf on the shelf would have been as popular as it is now without social media

of course not
but we would have to come up with our own ideas, most of us can't be bothered with THAT
The beauty of social media is to find inspiration for your elves.

I don't know anyone whose elf is "spying" on the kids, they are just visiting to make mischief. You don't like it, don't buy one? My youngest are really excited about their elves, it's a harmless bit of fun. I am sure some elves bring a poney and tickets to Disneyworld, you don't have to join you know.

Here the kids think that naughty elves only go to good children houses

I have enough people to look after ...I don’t need a sodding elf as well ....bah humbug

A kid in DS class his elf brought a puppy 🐶 Who does this!?
I got Elfs hate them but the DS loves them I mainly just thrown them in Christmas tree cat bed etc a puppy.

I have seen ONE elf on a shelf post on my FB feed since yesterday. And it was just a general post about getting the tree and advent calendars, etc out

So what? That doesn't reflect what I see.

It's only after reading things on MN that I realised so many people are that obsessed with other families do, and for the most random things.
Who cares? It would be exhausted - and ridiculous - to think about what others might think every time you do something with your family.

I bought all the Christmas jumpers in the charity shop this year thereby saving a lot of money and waste and donating all the money to charity! Dcs are thrilled and excited about wearing them to visit Father Christmas and when we go to choose a tree.
They have each had a Christmas book which I gave them yesterday so they can enjoy them during December. I've also bought sticker books for nearer the time but that's more for when we need a bit of calm time and they were only 79p each in Aldi. I also got a few craft bits from Hobbycraft which cost very little and will keep the dcs busy while we prep veg and stuff on Christmas eve.

We don't have an Elf and we won't do Christmas boxes as I think all the spending gets out of control. We never had Christmas Eve stuff growing up but my mum was a teacher who received multiple boxes of Roses/Quality Street from her class so we were allowed to open a box on Christmas Eve. I remember finding that hugely exciting!

My 6 year old asks why all her friends have got an elf but she hasn't. I refuse to give in to it as quite frankly my life is busy enough without the time and expense of having an elf. I feel sad for her that so many have an elf she's now in a minority especially as she's at the age where a magic elf is perfectly plausible!

“It's only after reading things on MN that I realised so many people are that obsessed with other families do, and for the most random things.
Who cares? It would be exhausted - and ridiculous - to think about what others might think every time you do something with your family.”

God this so much. And it’s when people say as above they can’t handle the time and expense of having an elf- don’t you have the imagination to do these things in a way that does suit your family? You must be so easily influenced, or stringent rule followers. My elf doesn’t do anything- my eldest has taken him to bed to sleep with her. He brings the advent calendars then hangs round the house all month. No time, effort, or expense.

We didn't have an elf when dd was little as it wasn't a thing yet, but I had a little toy cat which I used to move up the Christmas tree. Dd hated it. She was also scared of Santa and hated the idea of him coming down the Chimney.

My DSD is 8 and thinks everything is brought by her elf, the birthday fairy, Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny. It’s all very sweet and magical etc. Until you realise that she literally thinks money grows on magic trees, that I have lots and lots of it by virtue of being a grown up, and should therefore buy her everything she twitches her eyebrow at.
We have spoken to her about saying thank you and being nice to her mum, appreciating all she does for her etc. (after mum complained about some bratty behaviour) but honestly I don’t think the woman has done herself any favours by making everything magical because all we got back was a shrug and “oh it’s ok, it was my elf so I don’t have to say thanks to mum”
Bloody elves stealing the thunder of mums up and down the country

I don't do elves or Christmas Eve boxes. I do Father Christmas and that's it. My mum is desperate to buy a sodding elf and I have banned it. Not sure why she is so obsessed with the idea when our Christmas as children was perfectly simple and perfectly fine. Unless she wants to come round every day and set up a new elf scenario! Don't give a toss what other people do I just couldn't be arsed.

Until you realise that she literally thinks money grows on magic trees

my kids believe in everything just the same, the only presents from their parents are birthday presents. They are still not spoil and bratty behaviour would not be tolerated.

You can believe in magic without turning into a little shit.