To think all of these Christmas boxes are just mindless consumerism?

[hahbumbug]

Yes it’s been done to death and I’m being judgemental but I wish people would stop buying all of this shit. Like most things Christmas, it’s another tactic to guilt you into parting with your money.

I’m being a right grinch but I’ve come across three posts today with personalised helium balloons & entire walls filled with massive balloon arches for the arrival of the elf on the shelf. Also balloon boxes, plastic Christmas water bottles dated & personalised with names, little Christmas toys and so on. No doubt they’ll have more to come on the 24th. What’s annoyed me more is the influx of comments underneath each post with “you’re the best mummy”, “well done mama!” & all the variants of that.

We’re reluctant to start the elf on the shelf, luckily it doesn’t seem to be on our eldest’s radar. I like the idea of a few little bits on Christmas Eve, I’ll probably pick up a Christmas book & maybe a DVD out the charity shop. We’ll make hot chocolates and they can colour in whilst I prep veg.

Bah Humbug

Wtf is a balloon box???

The new trend I’ve seen on SM is where the husband does an advent calendar for the wife and she acts shocked. It’s an expensive gift per day. Comments under - best husband ever 🤢

... and destroy the environment at the same time. Why not?

I'd love this if the 'window' he opened was the one on the front of the washing machine.

It’s this kind of thing:

Yes and no. The extravagant balloons etc I think are a bit much. But I think Christmas boxes as a whole are fine.

I did one for both of mine, they got Christmas PJs which they will wear throughout December, a Christmas jumper and top each (vinted), some Christmas crafts because again they can do them throughout December rather than on Christmas Eve, a new book each, Christmas water bottle (because we always need new water bottles anyway) and a little toy - my eldest got a small Christmas Lego set so nothing too tacky or costly. It’s a bit of fun for December and it gives them things to use across the month rather than just a couple of days. We don’t do Christmas Eve boxes as well though.

Also I do kind of think kids are only little for such a short time that if parents and to spoil them with balloons and whatever and can afford to do so then why not, it doesn’t harm me personally. I don’t doubt the terrible impact it has on the planet, but then you could say that about so much, including the shit tonne of plastic people will be buying as gifts.

We started elf on the shelf this year after me always saying I wouldn’t bother, purely because of how excited my DS was when they had one at school last year. So far 100% worth it to see his excitement. He just arrived through the letterbox though, no balloon.

A friend of mine - quite well off - posted a photo of the calendars she has bought for her 2 children. Ages 11 and 9.

They have one calendar between them that was £250. 3 chocolate calendars each. Then a further beauty calendar for one of them, with a Lego calendar for the other.

Roughly £360 ish on calendars for 2 children. Absolute madness!!!!

Jesus.

I can't wait until under consumption is trending. This is all ridiculous, YADNBU op.

Completely agree !! Since when was the 1st of dec box even a thing!!! Elf bought the standard advent calendar and that’s it!! It’s all far too much these days.

That’s a bit harsh - does she assume all her friends who have got one are naughty? My son and his friends were so excited to talk about their elves yesterday, they’d have been gutted if a friend told them they’d only got one because they were naughty!

Agreed @hahbumbug
Apart from everything else, I can’t support the use of helium as a finite resource with a medical purpose, for frivolous purposes.

Where did Elf on the Shelf come from anyway? Is it yet another thing that's come over from America? If so, America can bl**dy well have it back.

I’d also love to know where everyone is storing all of their decorations when they have a new theme each year. If anyone is on Instagram or TikTok, have a look at the ‘rating my Christmas tree over the years’ trend. I’m imagining a Mary Poppins bag type loft with endless space.

It is all ott tatt but why are you coming across this stuff in the first place? I had no idea any of this was a thing and I only know about elf on the shelf because of MN. None of this stuff actually exists in my own life, it’s choice to engage or not.

Edit: TikTok seems to be the culprit. Never been on it in my life.

Wikipedia says:
^The Elf on the Shelf is a 2005 children's book written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell. Based on a Christmas tradition that started in Aebersold's family when she was a child, it describes the role of an elf who is assigned by Santa Claus to monitor children's behavior. The book is packaged with a toy elf, and families are encouraged to name it and act as if it is genuinely watching them. Since its introduction, The Elf on the Shelf has become part of Christmas festivities in North America.^

A triumph of marketing. Thank god it wasn't around when my children were little. Christmas boxes, pyjamas and jumpers weren't either. We were probably the last family in Britain not to buy Advent calendars with chocolate in them. We stuck to the old-fashioned kind I grew up with where you just open one window a day and the reward is the little picture.

There’s been a rise in underconsumption I think! Lots more people going for vintage, charity shopping and capsule wardrobes. Hopefully it’ll be enough to offset the ones filling up their trolley in b&m each year.🫣

We did the same with our daughter.

She has a wooden advent calendar that we put a chocolate in each day. We tell her it appears with Santa's magic as long as she's good.

I don’t do it.

Thank god [Elf on the Shelf] wasn't around when my children were little. Christmas boxes, pyjamas and jumpers weren't either. We were probably the last family in Britain not to buy Advent calendars with chocolate in them. We stuck to the old-fashioned kind I grew up with where you just open one window a day and the reward is the little picture.

It wasn't around when mine were small either (thank goodness). Ditto all the other cr*p. When I was a child I had one of those old-fashioned Advent calendars and re-used it year after year!

I do love Christmas but people make such a fuss, spend too much money and then moan that they are broke in January. Every.single.year.

I don’t care if I sound like a grinch.

I don't know if it's the people I know but most that do this have husband that are awful with them the rest of the year but pull out some all the stops in order to have an Instagram post for mothers days, her birthday and Christmas and appear like the perfect husband.

I really feel like replying with oh we all know Susie that John moved in with his mum for 3 weeks the other month because he decided the wife and kids were cramping his style and he wants to go back to his "lads" lifestyle before he reaches middle age and you openly call him a tosser to anyone that will listen but hey he's bought you a balloon and some flowers so now he's the picture perfect hubby. I'll look forward to you moaning that he spends his free time hiding at the gym or work whilst you juggle the kids, work and housework and everything else next week.

I know someone whose husband contributes absolutely zero all year, other than money. So then at Christmas he appears to be the most generous father and husband when he 'allows' her to go all-out on this stuff at 'his' expense, and gives her a mountain of expensive gifts to compensate for being lazy and selfish for the remaining 11 months of the year.

I hate balloon arches with a passion - bad enough for instagrammable birthdays, but I saw at least one friend with one yesterday too. I'm so glad it's not just me that hates them.

People do a million things every day that ruin the environment. Why pick on women doing just this one thing?

Tbf this is on you for following those bozos on social media in the first place. None of that shit would make me feel guilty. Take a SM break maybe. Or at least stop following those individuals.