Does anybody here do Elf on the Shelf?

[PodgeBod]

^Dons hard hat
^
I must admit, I^ find it creepy looking and painfully expensive. But I’m starting to feel tempted. DD1 will be almost 3 at Christmas and I think she would love it. Does anybody have any experience of doing EOTS for this age^ group?
Or have^ I just taken leave of my senses? I work in a toy shop and looking at the box all day has definitely^ influenced me.

I have no idea what’s happened with the formatting of that post should just be the first part in italics

It's weird and creepy. You have spent too long at work and clearly need a day off.

It's the elves, they messed with formatting
I don't do it but have two close friends that do and their kids love it.

I do a modified version. We have a more tasteful elf doll like these who arrived every year at the start of advent with a letter telling us what she has been up to. She comes to visit to learn about how our family celebrates Christmas, and will make suggestions for things we can do to help the spirit of Christmas. Sometimes she does fun stuff and I set up a scene with her in it, but she also leaves notes suggesting activities or acts of kindness we can do, or facts about midwinter celebrations around the world.

I do it :)
We have the original elf on the shelf, got it last year for my DSD who is 5. She loves it! And hasn't stopped talking about him all this year, and is already so excited for him to come back on the 1st!

I'm undecided too OPz . Have never done it before but now think my 5 and 2 year old would love it. Just can't decide if a) I can be arsed. And b) find it a bit creepy??

This elf on a shelf? Yes that is creepy!

broomstick yours are lovely. I'm thinking of doing a Kindness Elves type thing this year.

I know lots of people enjoy it but it does rather seem to be one of these things people do in order to photograph for Facebook.

Personally I dislike the contradictory nature of the idea, the elf is meant to be spying on the children for Santa in order to ensure that they are good but spends every night being horrifically naughty...

My own kids think they are “creepy and weird”.

It does seem to be the one American import that MNers like though.

I've been doing it for years now!! We all love it, it's more of a fun game in our house as opposed to Santa keeping an eye on kids. It's another lovely tradition that the my dc love and chat about throughout the year.

We live in Austria a d instead of Elf on the Shelf we have this guy who puts the kids in a bag and beats them with a stick of they are not good enough

goo.gl/images/MjCwcx

I feel my kids are sufficiently traumatised