To have mega mum guilt

[Crouchingdragonhiddentiger]

…over not doing elf on the shelf?!

I’ve seen so many Facebook and instagram posts tonight of this huge set ups - balloons, sweets, gifts and the elves, all making this huge thing on 1st December.

I’ve bought my 6 year old DS an advent calendar from Aldi and that’s it! I feel so tight now.

We are going round to a friends house tomorrow, who does it for her son, I have no idea what to say if mine starts asking why we don’t - because most parents seem to say “the elves won’t come if you’ve been naughty” I don’t want him to think he has been or doesn’t deserve it in some way.

Elf on the Shelf is creepy and unhealthy. Give yourself a pat on the back for swerving the dead-eyed snitching little fucker.

It’s absolute nonsense. Who needs that on their lives?

We've never done it and my kids don't seem to be traumatised. Elf seems to be more for parents showing off on insta, rather than a thing for the kids

If they ever asked about it (which they haven't), I'd say they're so good they don't need an elf to keep an eye on them.

No way
I'm not doing it either and I'm glad!

Never done it. Never will.

Stick to your guns.

Tell the kids you don't believe in the enslavement of house elves 😂

What is elf on a shelf? I've never heard of it so it's safe to assume we won't be doing it, haha.

An advent calendar is plenty, they don't need more than that to be excited about Christmas.

I think I’d probably say you have to invite the elf to come, and they make such big messes you didn’t invite him? Or something like that?

My eldest is almost 5, I don’t know anyone who does it in real life and we have no intention of introducing it! Ever!

I have never done it. Believe me, you will be relieved that you never signed up for all that nonsense. Once you start it you have to do it year after year.

Like everything, advent has become all about commercialised crap and outdoing each other on social media. This is not what Christmas should be about.

An advent calendar from Aldi is perfectly lovely. If you can, make tomorrow special with a walk in the cold, hot chocolate and a Christmas film.

I was seriously considering doing it this year. Tonight, I’m seriously relieved that I didn’t.

An advent calendar is absolutely fine. Elf on a shelf is ridiculous and weird!

Take everything you see on Facebook and Instagram with a huge pinch of salt...
So much on there is hollow and for show. Mine are young and just have advent calendars to open tomorrow.

Don’t sweat it, it’s tedious and pointless and too many do it for Instagram and not for their kids.

Just tell your son after that parents set it up for the kids or you don’t need to do that because Santa knows he’s always so well behaved

I’ve seen so many Facebook and instagram posts tonight of this huge set ups - balloons, sweets, gifts and the elves, all making this huge thing on 1st December.

Your life would be a lot better if you were not so influenced by Facebook and instagram.

It's an absolute load of bollocks. All for the socials.

Yabu. Mega mum guilt over not doing elf on a shelf? Ridiculous. There's no need. There's no need for Christmas Eve boxes either. I've four young kids and am no Scrooge of fun, just have common sense and boundaries.

I refuse to do it too. I find it creepy and absolutely devoid of charm. No objection to other people doing whatever makes them happy but it’s not for me and I won’t feel bad about it!

My son has already asked questions about why Santa doesn’t visit all children (because there are kids in his nursery who don’t celebrate Christmas) and I always just tell him people celebrate different things in different ways. If he asks about the Surveillance Elf I’ll tell him the same thing - that we don’t celebrate with an elf but other people do, and that’s ok because we’re all different.

Either tell him the parents do it, or that Santa knows he’s a good boy so doesn’t need to send an elf to spy on him.

I literally no NO ONE who does this. Your 6 year old will be super excited with being allowed a small square of chocolate from his advent calendar before breakfast.

Every year we have an elf bashing thread. If you don't want to do it then don't. No need for guilt. No need for snarky remarks about those who do enjoy it either.

FWIW ours never do stunts or elaborate tricks. They just move about and occasionally leave little notes. I know someone who has spent over £100 on props for their elf's capers which is insane to me but again, each to their own.

Me either

We don't do elf on the shelf either or christmas eve boxes or matching pj's but I don't feel guilty about it because I had magical Christmases as a child without any of this.

It's not my vibe, some parents have got time, energy, creativity and kids that have a bigger attention span than mine to make sure they can plan and commit to it as a tradition and wonderful for them, but it's not necessary for a magical christmas to do it.

My kids asked why we didn’t have one. I told them I told Santa I didn’t want one in the house as I don’t want anyone seeing how messy our house is! Worked for us anyway

I was told off in a car park today for telling my child (asking why we don’t have a naughty elf) that we don’t do that tradition by a mother clutching dc ears exclaiming ‘she still believes!’ My first instinct was ‘believes in what?’ - it is a marketing ploy invented 20 years ago, not some sort of sacred holiday tradition passed down through the ages!

i imagine it would be a bit of fun the first year, but by years 5,6,7 (or longer depending on how many kids) it would get reeaaally tedious. I also agree with others that the core aspects of the story are a bit creepy, and not something I really want to embrace.

If you feel guilty over it then why didn’t you do it?

Its such a cheap and simple thing to do, there’s no reason why you couldn’t of prepared for it.