Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

DS is terrified of the elf!!!

106 replies

WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 07:18

So we started the elf on the shelf this year. We thought it would be a bit of fun. Me & DH would enjoy making the mischief and DS would enjoy finding it......
Apparently not.
DS who is 6, is terrified of him. He will not go near him. Screamed and cried yesterday when he found the elf in his room.
Right now, the elf has wrapped toilet paper around the christmas tree and DS is refusing to go in to the living room.
We've sat with him and explained that he is a friendly elf, etc. and he's startimg to drive us a bit nuts!
So the elf is going....
Has anyone else experienced this?

OP posts:
Costacoffeeplease · 02/12/2016 07:48

I'm not surprised, the appeal of the little fucker has totally passed me by. Bin him and thank fuck you don't need to be 'fun mum' for the next 3 weeks Grin

TupsNSups · 02/12/2016 07:49

I really do not see the appeal of these things. Just a ploy from manufacturers to make money from daft people who fall for it.

Bin85 · 02/12/2016 07:52

You could do the good deeds per day for December instead and you don't need elves for that.
Being a grumpy old lady for a moment people don't need Christmas jumpers and Christmas Eve boxes etc either !

monkeywithacowface · 02/12/2016 07:52

So he screamed and cried yesterday but you decided to put him out again today? Hmm

PatriciaHolm · 02/12/2016 07:56

I think its pretty normal. The whole Elf idea really is a bit weird and creepy full stop and I don't blame any small child who finds the concept of a new toy (that they can't play with) the moves around of its own accord spying on the them a bit scary.

Blu · 02/12/2016 07:58

Tell your child that it is a doll and it was you who wasted the toilet roll in the Christmas Tree.

Please do not let the poor child think that an elf has come into his house to spy on him and has done bad deeds.

Tell Him The Truth.

Is this even real?

(The story, not the effing elf)

BrieAndChilli · 02/12/2016 07:59

I got one last year as all thier friends had them and I didn't want them to think they had been left out by santa and the elves.
They all hated the thing so we put it way. (They were 8,7 and 5)

Ilovetorrentialrain · 02/12/2016 08:01

I can see his logic OP. Please just get rid, it's a creepy idea if you think about it from a child's point of view.

Oblomov16 · 02/12/2016 08:04

I hate them with a passion. Mischief? Hmm and yes I find them really creepy.

And I normally like elves etc - love the elves and the shoemaker story. But this new phenomenon makes my skin crawl.

DramaInPyjamas · 02/12/2016 08:08

I don't really get it tbh
The elf gets to be naughty and destructive but the kids have to be good or they get told on?

Too many 'traditions' these days as Bin85 mentioned- Christmas jumpers, elves, Christmas Eve boxes - it's all about hashtag #MakingMemories (I done none of thi with my children and they have plenty of Christmas memories without all this overwhelming rubbish.

an advent calendar and a trip to see Santa in Woolworths was your lot when I was young Grin

P1nkP0ppy · 02/12/2016 08:10

I think they're seriously creepy and I'm not surprised your DS is scared.
I don't understand why you're persisting in frightening a young child, wtf are you trying to achieve?
As for a toy that spies on children to see if they're being good and plays pranks on them, that's unpleasant and unnecessary.
Thank heavens some people have more sense.

Ilovewillow · 02/12/2016 08:12

I'm with your son hideous things!

DoubleCarrick · 02/12/2016 08:13

If you really want to do the elf thing can you tell him it's not real and let him have a turn?

OnceMoreIntoTheBleach · 02/12/2016 08:16

I don't blame him and glad to hear it's not just me and mine that don't like the idea! My DCs said about this last night, that some people at school have elves in their houses, and I explained the concept and they both said it was creepy. Glad I never succumbed.

OP chuck it out! I also wouldn't keep up the pretence that it is real - come clean and erase the creepiness from his young mind Grin

Original poster
WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 08:16

Pmsl some of you make it sound as if we propped the elf up on the end of the bed with a machete as a morning surprise!!
Yes, we brought the elf back today to try and ease DS' mind and not spend the rest of his life terrified of elves! He eventually went into the living room, where he found an apology letter from the elf. He took it quite well then asked if the elf could sit on the tree. Now when he comes back from school we will sit him down and ASK HIM if he would like the elf to return to the North pole. If he says yes, then we will pack him up and send him on his way. We wouldn't terrify the poor kid and leave it at that!!
BTW his cousins all have elves and he has never had a problem seeing them and enjoyed hearing all about the mischief, hence why we thought he would like his own. Not for Facebook likes. Some of us actually do stuff just for our kids.

OP posts:
TheHouseOfIllRepute · 02/12/2016 08:16

I don't blame him it's a creepy little fucker
Someone is coining it in there

EverythingEverywhere1234 · 02/12/2016 08:17

They are sinister little things, spying and coming alive at night. Bin it, no wonder he's screaming.

This!! Ridiculous made-up 'tradition'

Original poster
WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 08:18

Also, we told him its like toy story but this toy elf works on santas magic and instead of roaming the house at night he goes back to the north pole to see santa so he didn't think an elf was wandering about whilst he slept

OP posts:
WhoKnowsWhereTheT1meG0es · 02/12/2016 08:27

I don't think six is at all old to find this sinister and creepy. I've never come across anyone with an Elf in real life and find the whole concept weird and totally unecessary. Send it back to the North Pole (or rather bin it) and put it down to experience.

Original poster
WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 08:27

Wow...i asked if anyone else experienced this not pass judgement on us as parents. Traditions start somewhere people. Clearly this one isnt going to stick with us. Times have moved on. Woolworths is no more. This isn't about your generation and what you did. In the words of Elsa "Let it go!"
But seriously, have a cuppa and calm the f down....

OP posts:
Original poster
WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 08:30

WhoKnows we are definitely putting this down as an experience....he'll be telling his grandkids about the creepy little elf that turned up at his house one year Grin

OP posts:
Megainstant · 02/12/2016 08:31

Your ds sounds more sensible than you and your dh. Chuck it on the fire. And it was a bit cruel to put it out again after he was scared the first time.

DramaInPyjamas · 02/12/2016 08:38

"Traditions start somewhere people"

Ah, the old 'scare your kid, then scare him again just to make sure you didn't scare him enough the first time' tradition

onecurrantbun1 · 02/12/2016 08:38

My little girl is 5 and is terrified that Santa will go in her room. So he leaves the presents downstairs and the stockings at the bottom of the stairs and she goes down and collects them to open in our room on Xmas morning.

She (and I, for that matter) hate the idea of being watched so EotS would be the worst thing for us. Get rid.

Maybe a Christmassy book and a special cuddly toy would be better?

Original poster
WoopWoop200 · 02/12/2016 08:44

DramainPyjamas we also have a hunger games type tradition. Arm all the kids and let them loose in a playzone. Last one standing gets a bag of Haribo

OP posts: