Christmas elf

[Mummabear04]

DD has asked for a Christmas elf this year, she's 6 years old and her BFF has one so of course she wants one now. Should I do it and if so can people give me 25 days worth of things that the elf does? Does it just move around the house? I absolutely love Christmas but for some reason I really am not keen on the elf idea...yay or nay mumsnetters? You decide for me!

YABU - Just do it scrooge!
YANBU - don't do it!!!!!

I've refused. Weird creepy thing.

I didn't realise children are told it's magic and moves by itself. I assumed they knew it was just a toy and their parents make it do the weird prank stuff. I told DC we weren't getting one because it was another job for me

We have elves, they don't come every day as sometimes they have to go back amd help santa! My normal routine with them is:

1st Dec - they arrive with advent calendars, normally having put flour around the kitchen as they miss snow

Few days of random mornings where they are hanging in placed or making a mess of things. The then go away for a couple of days

Around the 7th - they return and we wake up to them with all the Xmas decorations out (this is on a sat morning) and some Xmas pj's for us

Next few days they bring choc, Xmas themed books and an Xmas jumper for whatever day school are doing it.

I tend to get creative with loo roll, set up having tea with the barbies etc.

They go back 2 day before Xmas eve when they return with the Xmas eve box

Day 1 - Elf appears with an advent calendar and a note saying “I’m Colin the Elf blah blah blah”

Day 2 - Note saying “Dear xxxx, this year the elves are in short supply and we are being sent on special missions to bring joy where it is especially needed. I notes that you are a very lucky boy / girl with a family that loves you and a safe, happy home. Sadly not all children have that and I have have gone to bring some magic to a child not as lucky as you. Am sure you will understand”.

Drop random treats and notes thanking them for being so kind and understanding occasionally.

Christmas Eve - Elf returns with balloons and all usual Christmas Eve treats to thank chose for being so kind and understanding.

Done!

Day 1 - Elf appears with an advent calendar and a note saying “I’m Colin the Elf blah blah blah”

Day 2 - Note saying “Dear xxxx, this year the elves are in short supply and we are being sent on special missions to bring joy where it is especially needed. I notes that you are a very lucky boy / girl with a family that loves you and a safe, happy home. Sadly not all children have that and I have have gone to bring some magic to a child not as lucky as you. Am sure you will understand”.

Drop random treats and notes thanking them for being so kind and understanding occasionally.

Christmas Eve - Elf returns with balloons and all usual Christmas Eve treats to thank chose for being so kind and understanding.

Done!

She's 6 you don't have to say yes.

Or just buy her an elf as a toy? Tell her you don't want to do all the stupid Elf things? Its such a new thing I don't think she'll miss out if you just give her an Elf toy. Maybe she'll go the tricks herself?

We have a very beloved elf, but its possible to be quite low effort about it.

The elf moves every night, but often it's just things like Elf hides in the washing machine. They loved that one.

I did one last year and DD loved it, so will probably do it again this year but I don't tell her he's magic or anything. I just move him every night to play with a different toy of hers.... nothing elaborate and no mess! Pretty sure she knows it's me doing it 😆

We refused to do the elf with our sons and our daughter has thankfully never asked. I find them very creepy and the endless Facebook posts showing the elf messing the house up or rocking up with gifts just makes me baulk.

Not for us, mind you we also don’t do Santa

100% this. They’re awful bloody things.

Do it! Makes them so happy that it's worth it ignore the grinches

Keep it low key

move it sometimes

happy DD

they are only little such a short time

Horrendous new "tradition" which only was invented about 20 years ago. Pile of shite, and as you're discovering, just creates more work for mums.

Tell your DD that she is well behaved enough not to need checking up on. At 6 she KNOWS that the elf is not real and will have seen them on sale in Poundland and similar.

Brilliant!

Just seen this.

It's just a soft toy that gets moved around the house. I'm not sure I understand where this degree of ire is coming from.

Who has time for that shit.

The majority of this stuff would take under 5 minutes

And a merry Christmas to you to.

Does that include time for cleaning up the glitter/flour/toilet roll/snowflakes/forks/ shoes/chocolate etc. etc.?

Although I like the idea of freezing the little creep in a glass of water. Immobilising him is the way to go. Could you make an ankle tag out of Play-Doh?

In 2005, creator Carol Aebersold (a stay-at-home mom at the time) and her daughter, Chanda Bell, published a children’s book called The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, based on their family’s own Scandinavian holiday tradition that started in the 1970s

From Woman's Day .

Yeah how long does it take you to roll up a roll of toilet papet back up the length of some stairs, or tidy some shoes away, or the tiny area of flour that would be needed for one of them elves or a few forks. This is a list of ideas that op can pick some from its not a summons.

You could just hide it round the house and they have to find it.

Or it gets caught playing on a phone through the night.
Hides in the fridge.
Swaps the cereals round. (Inner packets)
Knocks the shampoo bottles into the bath.
Wears the kids pants on its head (or sock or gloves)
Gets caught eating crisps (empty packets) or chocolate or jam.
Leaves footprints in the butter.
You can fake scream at finding him in your wardrobe/kitchen cupboard.
Hides up a coat sleeve.
Hides in a Welly or shoe.
Unpairs socks and mismatches them. (Just that days ones)
Wraps itself in kids scarf?
Steals the Christmas chocolate for cousin Johnny (scatter a few chocolates around empty packet, elf holding stomach?)
Sliding down bannister
Stuck in a drawer with pants/socks scattered on the floor/hanging off the curtain rail. Get your kid to put them back.
Hides in the Christmas tree.
Puts on angel wings(card board) and pretends to be angel on top.
Hides in the bottom of kids bed.

We have one which I was hoping since the older 3 are past it we could skip if for the 3 year old but nope it’s a tradition for them and they want it it for their little brother 😂
but honestly we’ve always had a well behaved elf who just turns up in random places up high where nobody can touch him lol so it’s very low effort. Just forgot to move him sometimes 😜

It's just a bit of fun, I like making things magical. Couple of drops of food coloring to dye the milk green, hang some candy canes on the tree, build a snowman out of toilet paper rolls (with felt pen eyes) leave some little Christmas hair clips...