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Original poster

How does Elf on the Shelf work?

20 replies

xoMummyBear · 10/10/2017 19:08

So my dc are 3 and 1 and I have heard about the Elf on the Shelf but not entirely sure how it is done. Can someone fill me in please :)

OP posts:
Normalserviceissuspended · 10/10/2017 19:43

It depends. I am very uncomfortable with a lot of the elf on the shelf stuff.

According to the independent The idea is simple. Parents put the elf on a shelf in early December and inform their children that he will always be watching and judging them for signs of bad behaviour.

They are supposed to move the little toy around the house to create the illusion that he is popping up in different locations and always reporting back to Father Christmas

Do you want your children to think that it is ok for someone to watch them in their bedroom? Will that make them paranoid?

Do you want them to fear that if they are not good then the elf will tell Santa and they will not get any gifts? Will that make them anxious?

MrsAukerman · 10/10/2017 19:46

We had elf on a shelf last Christmas as a gift for our just turned 2 yr old (then). We in no way spoke about him reporting back or linking to behaviour. He was just a silly little elf who got into daft situations like playing the ukelele or doing a snow angel in flour or sitting in an egg cup. Nothing blue or manipulative. Make of it what you want.

Normalserviceissuspended · 10/10/2017 19:47

Nothing blue

Typo? or do some people have swinger elves?

SweetChickadee · 10/10/2017 19:50

creepy wee fuckers...

CodLiverOil556 · 10/10/2017 19:52

We have elf on the shelf, he comes from the North Pole and reports back to Santa on Christmas Eve.

He gets up to all sorts of fun stuff and we certainly don’t push the ‘he’s watching you’ the kids know not to touch the elf and we have a good laugh about what he’s been up to in the night.

Things he’s done...

Emptied underpants and put them everywhere (DS 6 thought this was hilarious)

He’s been SCUBA diving in the fish tank

Fishing in the sink

Abseiling down the curtains

Dressed as Spider-Man

It really is a bit of fun and the kids love it

iklboo · 10/10/2017 19:52

DS is older so we put elf in ridiculous places and it's done with tongue firmly in cheek.

Caenea · 10/10/2017 19:53

Take Elf.

Burn Elf.

Tell your kids they are safe from the menacing little fucker.

In all seriousness though OP, he's a charming concept, the bit that disturbs me is the whole HE'S WATCHING YOU terror. It's OK if you're doing the same as Mrs and just messing about with him in a "hunt the Elf" kind of scenario.

VioletCharlotte · 10/10/2017 19:55

I think Elf on the Shelf can be really fun, but agree with op I wouldn't do all the 'he's watching you and reporting back' stuff.

My 2 are too old unfortunately but I'd say he'd come to stay for the run up to Xmas. Then you can have fun coming up with silly things to do every night.

Original poster
xoMummyBear · 10/10/2017 20:42

I agree with the whole "he's watching you" being very creepy, think I'll be leaving that part out! But the idea of the silly situations sounds good, the kids will love that! Thanks guys!

OP posts:
Chocolatecake12 · 10/10/2017 20:46

HAve a look on Pinterest for some elf ideas.
And home bargains had some lovely soft cuddly elves that IMO are nicer than the traditional looking (creepy) ones

TheNewMrs · 10/10/2017 20:52

Ah I love our Elf!

I'm another one who doesn't do the 'watching you' thing, but he turns up on the 1st December with DSD's advent calendar and spends the rest of the month getting up to silly things.

We move him into a different position every night and she loves looking for him in the morning. We do say our Elf goes back to the North Pole every night but to report back to Santa and see if the other elves need any help Smile

He leaves to go back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, and this year he left us all some new pyjamas, DSD a new Christmas film, and me and DH a bottle of Baileys, so he must have felt well looked after Wink

wendz86 · 10/10/2017 20:53

My daughter loved this last year (she was 5). Elf did things like ride a sleigh pulled by my little pony, put toilet paper round the tree and playing board games with other toys. I didn't say he was always watching them or anything like that, was just a bit of fun.

BroomstickOfLove · 10/10/2017 20:58

The watching and reporting back is creepy, and the elf itself is pretty ugly, so I adapted the idea to suit us. Our elf is on a sort of cultural factfinding mission from Father Christmas. She stays with us over advent to learn all about how we celebrate and to join in with us. She writes a letter every year about what she's been up to, and these have become fairly long affairs with adventures and an ever-increasing cast of friends, family, teachers and reindeer. Sometimes she leaves a craft activity or a suggestion for something to do. Sometimes she is found doing g something Christmassy or silly or fun herself. On the weekend in the middle of advent she leaves a note promising a treat if the childrens' bedroom is spotless. Once it is tidied to my satisfaction she (I) sneaks into their room at night and puts up decorations. Last year the children made her a bedroom out of shoeboxes.

TheNewMrs · 10/10/2017 21:00

@BroomstickOfLove love the idea of putting decorations up! I've been tempted to have our Elf put a Christmas tree up in DSDs room this year but not sure if I can be that organised!

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 10/10/2017 22:26

We have an Elf but he also is not a spy. He turns up with the 1st December Box (like Christmas Eve Box) and helps with preparations for Christmas.

I have a beautiful Montefiore one.

How does Elf on the Shelf work?
Lowdoorinthewal1 · 10/10/2017 23:05

Sorry, Monte Dragone.

Brittbugs80 · 11/10/2017 08:00

I have a beautiful Montefiore one

He really is!! I love him!

We don't have an Elf on the shelf. We have a stuffed Rudolph that comes two weeks before Christmas and DS has to train him to be a good reindeer but when he's here, he is a nightmare!

Pants on the Christmas tree, drinking beer, stacking up the cushions on the floor, hanging from the decorations, rolling toilet roll down the stairs, holding other toys hostage etc. FC then collects him back Christmas Eve while we are out and leaves DS some PJ's as a thank you for training him and the key for DS to put out so FC can let himself in to leave his present.

We've done this since DS was 3 and he always looks forward to him coming.

BroomstickOfLove · 11/10/2017 08:49

Our elf is an older version of one of these.

How does Elf on the Shelf work?
dantdmistedious · 11/10/2017 08:57

We have one, he usually turns up around the 14th - he gets lost on the way I can't be arsed with it for four weeks.

My kids love the bloody thing and talk about him all year. They can't touch him or the magic rubs off and he doesn't spy but he does report to FC when he comes on xmas eve to take him back to the North Pole.

Brittbugs80 · 11/10/2017 09:09

Our elf is an older version of one of these

These are sweet too! I love a good elf/gnome, especially a Christmas one

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