Should I start this Elf thing

[Iwashappyonceuponatime]

Or not go there?

Dd is 4. The elf on the shelf thing looks quite fun…but…should I commit or will I forever have to do it? Is it annoying or fun and where do you even get the elf from 🙈🤷🏻‍♀️

We got ours second hand on eBay from some parent who'd had an epiphanous fuck-it moment and kicked the nasty little thing out.

Absolutely bloody not. The stress!

Exactly what I was going to write!

I think they are meant to be there to keep an eye on the naughty children, so if your child asks why you don't have one you could say Father Christmas knows you are well behaved already. You may need an added extra then though, in case they decide to misbehave in order to get an elf, so Landlubber2019's explanation is best and also most truthful.

I actually love it. OK, sometimes it's a pain. He might not move every night, and there are 3 of us to move him! But the excitement every morning, great way to get them out of the bed.

Yours are a bit young tho ..a lot of years ahead!

He can also get delayed and not come until nearer Christmas, maybe send a letter to explain the delay.

Don’t Ever start ANything until the kids themselves put you under pressure.
Nothing.
So if when they get to school and Everyone is doing it and you feel sad for them .. okay maybe.
It’s crazy to give yourself that amount of hassle for the sake of a couple of Facebook/Instagram posts.

I always wonder why anyone would voluntarily give their children sweets, for example, unless they start asking.

You answered your own question OP

What's the point of him ?

I thought this was going to be about if you should start vaping Elf bars 😂

Hm, I haven't created a correlation between my elf's antics and DC2's behaviour, that not my style.
But maybe he can return this year as a bit of a convert of some kind, bent on spreading seasonal cheer and goodwill. That's a great idea. And much easier to organise.

We have bastard elves. They arrived last year. I've regretted ever since. Ours are not badly behaved though. Many a time I went to bed, just dropping off to sleep and realised I didn't do the elves. I buy little craft things or elves chocolate biscuits for when I really cannot be bothered or forget. Elves bring them goodies sometime.

No
Creepy and abusive

so many wrong messages that watching someone aka stalking is ok

Do it. My two love it and I figure you only have to do it for 5 or 6 christmases!

Don't listen to the grinches😁

Our elf has never been seen but there is a small elf door next to the front door. Every Sunday in advent the elf leaves a small present for each dc. Same excitement, much less effort.

They are both fun AND annoying. I’m one of those elf social media dickheads 😁 I am the laziest parent EVER, but my dd gets so much joy out of the wee bastard elf that it feels worthwhile.

The Elf is what you make it. Ours was a good elf, the first year it brought Christmas stories, decorations, salt dough ingredients things we would have done anyway and a chocolate coin everyday in place if an advent calendar.

On subsequent years when I was back working our elf became a Supervisor of other Elves and only visited DD at the weekend.

As a single parent I was able to buy myself Christmas gifts and the Elf delivered them to DD with gift bags and a card and she couldn't be prouder or more excited when handing them to me on Christmas morning.

No

Our elf just moves occasionally - very low maintenance and my son loves him.

Also I never, ever told DD he was watching her and reporting back to Santa, he was simply an extra part of the Christmas magic.
I don't buy into threatening children with Santa, it's lazy parenting.

No, no, no and no again. I bloody love Christmas but absolutely no to the creepy elf.

I could have throttled my normally lovely MIL when she asked my 5 year old if the elf would be coming to our house this year. Cue tears and protestations of everyone else has one. I'm staying firm that there is no place in our home for a naughty elf and I'm not budging on that. I have enough to do without thinking of and remembering to move a bloody elf every night. Just no!

@Singleandproud
"As a single parent I was able to buy myself Christmas gifts and the Elf delivered them to DD with gift bags and a card and she couldn't be prouder or more excited when handing them to me on Christmas morning."

That's absolutely adorable.

5 or 6 christmases only if you have a small age gap between kids. If you have 5 years age gap you could wind up doing it for 10 years or more as once you start it for the older one you have to keep it going. No thank you!

This is very sweet!!

"Don’t Ever start ANything until the kids themselves put you under pressure.
Nothing"

How sad is that?

OP - if you want to do it then do, we like ours but he's not a spy and he's not the creepy looking plasticky one. Sometimes they move, other times they're lazy. The one constant is that we wake up to a special breakfast they've prepared for us on Dec 1st with the advent calendars and various other bits (storybooks that come out each year and crafts) It's really not hard and the kids just love it.

And it never goes on social media because it's for my kids who aren't on there

If you really want to do it, have him turn up on December 20.
Otherwise by December 7 you will suddenly understand all the previous answers

Every year when my fb friends post daily pictures of the total mess the elf has made, I thank my lucky stars my kids hate it and find it creepy.