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 did it for a few years when my teens were little and it was a pain in the arse. We even had two elves at one stage. I shouldn’t never have started it in the first place. Glad those days are over. I don’t allow myself to be drawn into all the social media trends anymore, I stay away from insta and don’t post my life on insta or facebook - I live my life my way and feel so much happier for it.

Oh my goodness! The delivering your gift to dd with wrappings from the elf, and her then proudly giving this to you, almost made me well up! You're an incredible Mum @Singleandproud

What brilliant, and creative ideas!

No one has ever spotted our elf. A door appears on the wall, sometimes with a broom, or pair of shoes. Last year it had its own scout necker hanging up on the days we had scouts. No drama and very little effort involved.

Oh Jesus, 2!! 😱

Of course YANBU. Do Christmas how you want. The elf thing always sounded very annoying to me.

If nobody spots it, why do it? Or do you mean it is a Christmas fixture so to speak that sits like that along with the decorations, with no changing it?

Someone told my DC that only kids who are borderline naughty list have an elf, so they're very smug about not having one. Which works for me! I love creating magic, but I'm not an elf fan.

My mate is threatening to do 'Elf on the Shelf Mental Health Awareness....' Her elf is going to just spend an entire month in bed.

I think she might be a bit fed up of it now.

I offered up:

Elf on a Shelf - Infections Disease Isolation (he stays in a box with 'HAZARD WARD' written on it, can't have visitors, not allowed out).
Elf on a Shelf - HMP NAUGHTY ELF... locked up in prison..
Elf on a Shelf... somewhere in Thailand with Grandad (postcard).

I am apparently a very bad person.

We love the elf, but don't do it if you don't want to. I'm not sure why you need permission to just say no. 🤷‍♀️

Mine are now well past this, thank heavens.

If I’d ever been given, or the kids had been given, an elf, it would have been Elf in the Bin.

Be naughty there, you little wanker, under the potato peelings and the used tea bags.

Wasn't looking for permission, just opinions on it. Enjoy your elf escapades! 👀

The elf doesn't have to do anything crazy, ours is very low maintenance.

I love this! 😂

@Swanbeauty I figured it was chocolate ... why the fuck would you spread chocolate all over your bathroom and then have to clean it up an hour later. What is the fucking point?

Thing is when I was young I'm sure my parents just said Father Christmas is watching you or words to that effect. Same as I said to my kids.
Why do kids need a creepy elf to watch them? I think the elf takes away the magic, far more magical to think one person can see everyone and knows if they are behaving.

I don't personally know anyone who's elf does surveillance

You are not being unreasonable.
I think the whole idea of it is horrible.
I love Christmas, the decorations, the tree, cards, buying and wrapping presents etc
But I don't see anything magical or charming about the elf who spies on children!

My DD has never done it with her children. It's never bothered them at all. A couple of their friends did it but children understand all families are different and do different things and have different traditions

Isn't that the story that they're based upon though?

I hope fervently we never have to do it. 5yo currently thinks it sounds scary to have an elf in your house so this year I think we're safe. He already knows Father Christmas isn't real so bracing myself for some tricky conversations re what he might say in the playground....

Nothing is obligated Most people I know aren't interested in that bit, so they don't do it 🤷‍♀️

Oh good lord, just looked up the santa cams, awful!!

DC 14,8 & 3. Have never had an elf, I don’t want one, I have enough to think of over Xmas than also try to play 24 days of elf activity for each morning. None of the kids have ever mentioned one either. I do however do Xmas Eve box.

Harrriet
No Elf
No Boo boxes
No Christmas eve boxes.
No Christmas bedding.
No Christmas nightwear.
The end.
We do lots of other things though!

What's a Boo Box? We never did any of the above when my DC were younger. We had our own Christmas traditions.