To not do 'Elf on the shelf'

[Alottodoaboutssomething]

I understand it as a magical annoying elf turning up 1st December, to watch your children, and report their behaviour back to the North Pole. However, it back fires when it is the "naughty" elf who infact is the one who needs watching. This is demonstrated by his antics each night (set up by the lucky parent who has to think of various mischievous predicaments for 24 days)! Please correct me if I am wrong on this.

I promise I am not a grinch! We do crafts, baking, advent calendars, small Christmas box with night before Christmas book, Santa key, leaving mince pie, carrot on Christmas eve etc in the lead up. I just find the elf idea creepy, especially the whole watching/monitoring idea. Surely it could lead to a "mummy is this you doing this?" and create further risk of them questioning Santa as well. I don't know if this has happened to anybody!

Dc1 has asked about his elf, and I don't want to do it, and feel mean, because the other kids get it visiting them. I don't want a festive squatter in my home!

I've never done it and don't ever intend to. I have 2 dc 7 and 3. 7 year old has never asked why we don't. I have neither the energy or time to be moving round a freaky looking thing every night. I also don't like the whole elf watching you thing, seems really creepy.

Love this idea! Just need a cat

I really regret ever starting it. It was nice when they were young and I wasn't working or was working part time and I had the time and energy to be bothered.

Fast forward a couple of years when I'm working full time and really don't have the time or energy.

The kids are hearing about friends elves antics and you end up feeling shit that you haven't gone to the same effort as these parents.

At some point our elves just went back to the north pole, seemingly because they weren't needed anymore, because they're only actually there for naughty kids 😂

Seriously we've enough to be doing. We are not living in a hallmark movie.

"Boo box", oh sweet Jesus what is this you speak off? 😱

You just reminded me I have to find the bloody elf. I blame school, the kindy and year 1 teachers have classroom elves. The first couple days it's fun working out a new hiding space is fun, but it qucikly loses that. I wouldn't start it if I could chose again.

Yes!! The "watching" would have creeped me out as a child. I don't think my dcs would like that at all. I don't do the whole "Santa is watching" either as I don't agree with it. If we did it I would have to change the idea to not include the monitoring behaviour, and then it wouldn't make sense! Another gimmick to add in for parents isn't it!?

We've been doing it for 11 years, my kids are now early and mid-teens and we still love our Elf. Of course you're not being unreasonable for not having an Elf, just as those of us who get a kick out of it are also not unreasonable for having one. Really not sure why you even had to ask the question, you do you.

We don't do the elf and I don't give a shiny shit about the apparent 'effort' of other parents. I put in plenty of effort where it matters to us e.g. reading with them, crafting together, baking, quality time etc.

Because I was just curious about it, and feel mean if I say no to it! I was wondering if others found it creepy like me. I think the monitoring part is putting me off more than the moving the little terror around the house tbh! But yeah each to their own!

Boo box?!
What the actual F is one of those?! 🤣
Like there isn't enough nonsense out there already lol (I promise I love Christmas, just can't be arsed with the Elf lol)

Yes "just there for naughty kids", that could work 🤣 as long as dc1 doesn't tell his friends with live in elves their behaviour is bad! I may risk it!

What is the point of the elf? Do young children really believe in it (like FC) or does everyone know Mum/Dad are moving it? Not around when my son was young, thank goodness.

Never done it and never will. We also only vaguely do Father Christmas and place more value in family time and activities. I will risk them being traumatised by 'unmagical' Christmases.

Oh f* classroom elves? Now I think of it I'm sure dc mentioned one of those last year. The school headteacher is a bit of a stickler, so hopefully will have banned this now, 😂 This is someone who creates actual "half school uniform" days, crazy school!

@Alottodoaboutssomething the Elf is whatever you make it to be. Ours doesn't monitor the kids, he just does stuff to make them laugh. Do it or don't do it, it's your choice.

This does no appeal to me, so I've never done it. We have other traditions though.

I actually feel quite lucky that my oldest DC finds it really creepy. I think if they wanted to do it I'd make it clear that it's just for a game and that we can all take turns hiding the elf in a funny place.

It’s creepy.

As an adult being watched all day, Elf would be reported as a stalker!

This is not a "tradition". It was only invented in the last 10-15 years. I put it in the same mental basket as other ridiculous things like Boo Boxes (wtf?) and North Pole breakfasts - designed by companies to sell you tat you never thought you needed, and embraced by people who live their lives on Instagram.

In principle, for Christians Advent is like Lent - a time of preparation and reflection. A special time for sure, but not really intended to be indulgent. As a sort of Christian family, one of our challenges is to try to respect the solemnity of the season without being total killjoys 🙈

I believe that some adults develop an allergy to elves, quite suddenly, much as they can to cats and dogs. The DC wouldn't want Mummy ill in bed over the Christmas period, unable to take them out or wrap presents...

Same here. Never did any of that bollocks and nobody suffered.

We did advent calendars, carol service on Christmas Eve, gifts on Christmas morning and Christmas dinner at a local restaurant.

We did have to go along with things like Christmas play/nativity from the primary school but not too much.

That was it.

I avoided it and am glad I did as I know I would have started big, full of enthusiasm and then found myself under a pressure, entirely of my own making, to keep it going.

We just said our family didn't need an elf and left it at that .

So glad we swerved this, my kids just old enough that this didn’t hit when they were at that age. It’s a bloody awful bind by the sounds of it.

I also can’t stand the whole Christmas Eve “box” with yet more tat to be purchased. And don’t get me started on the matching pyjamas.

Carrots for Rudolph, mince pie and a much needed drink for Santa, that’s yer lot 😜, there’s plenty to be consumed the following day!

Well I will hold my hands up, not religious in the slightest. We just love the spending time with family doing nice things, kindness and good food aspects. I love all of the lights too!