How do you explain not having a elf?

[ItsJustASimpleLine]

Really don't want to have to do elf on the shelf. Can anyone help with and explanation for why we don't have one that DD would believe??

Yes because the spirit of Christmas is all about buying shit.

I do my best to shop ethically, and that included not buying into all the pointless crap that manufacturers come out with, from Christmas jumpers and bedsets to elves and all the other associated themed crap. Ironically I'm an atheist but that makes me closer to Christ's message than people who buy shit made by children in sweatshops as a bit of fun.

Ironically I'm an atheist but that makes me closer to Christ's message than people who buy shit made by children in sweatshops as a bit of fun.

As an atheist I don’t blame you for being wrong but your message in no way represents the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is about love and joy, not swearing and putting down people you’ve never met.

Hey, just reacting to being called holier than thou and pathetic.

That’s nice LaDaronne but if you’re so worried about sweat shops the elf should really be extremely low down on your list of Christmas worries

I assure you it's not top of the list. I object to the elf on a number of grounds, sweatshops being one, the addition of another plate for women to keep spinning being another. Just sharing my illuminating thoughts with you all on this fine Sunday morning

They aren’t hugely illuminating. You shouldn’t apply stereotypes to all families either. My husband does all the elf work in this house!

Why are some posters implying this is woman’s work? My husband and I take turns with the elf and I must confess he’s much better at it than I am! He gets joy out of the kids being happy too. Perhaps if your husband is leaving you to sort out Christmas the Elf isn’t the problem here?

A big pat on the back to your husbands then. A wild stab in the dark here, but I'm guessing they're in a minority if they give a shit about the elf. The point still applies whether we're talking men or women anyway - another pointless task to add to the neverending list.

Oh and FWIW I reckon Jesus would have been cool with a bit of swearing.

I don't for few reasons.

Can't be bothered
Does not hold any nolastagic feeling for me
Feels commercial
Feels like a contest
My kids are not bothered

Another one who posts endlessly about the Elf yet has a “neverending list” to be getting on with. if you don’t want to do it then don’t but why pretend it’s because you’re far too busy or you care about commercialism? You think it’s shit and don’t want to, and that is fine! But please understand no one really cares.

a quick google suggests it’s been a thing since 2004 so 14 years that is a long time
This comment made me feel old. I have pants older than this.

We've never done it and my kids have never asked about it. I don't know anyone who does it to be honest.

If they had have asked, I'd have told them that it's just not one of our Christmas traditions. I wouldn't worry about them telling other kids that the elves aren't real as surely it's obvious to everyone, including kids, that they're not, as they're in the shops - unlike Santa.

I'd sooner start my own tradition, or choose something I like that's a bit less common. We did St Nicholas Day when DC was younger, leaving a shoe out on the evening of Dec 5 to be filled with chocolate and small gifts.

*let’s face it DH won’t be the one doing it will he

Why not?*

Because he gets home from work at gone 9pm most nights and I’m not asking him to spend any of his tiny evening (in which he already does various domestic tasks) moving an elf. So yep, in our house, it would be me.

My seven year old asked why we don’t have an elf on the shelf. I just told her I didn’t know no elf had ever turned up at our house. She was happy with that explanation.
I don’t have the time to be prattting about with an elf every night for a month.

Has anyone else seen the Reindeer In Here? My DC is too old, but I think it looks much better than the elf, comes to get to know the children and no stress for parents. Don't know if it's available in the UK though.

I can see it would be fun for about the first week, but I can imagine it quickly becoming a pain

Thank you GreenTulip

“For those who don't know

The elf is a naughty elf and gets up to no good overnight

There are loads of pages of ideas - stealing food - mishap with look roll or sellotape - sitting in a glass with 'poop' inside - there's loads they get up to and 'caught' when the kids get up

There are some adult versions (mainly with a Barbie doll!!) which can be quite funny

We don't do it, kids are tool old - but I can see the fun in it.”

That does sound potentially fun. You could do it without buying stuff I think? Recycling an old stuffed animal?
And yes also v stressful if you get forced to do something every night.....

Blimey who pissed on your cornflakes BlueOoo?

You probably LaDaronne 🤣

I could ask you the same having read pages of insisting your too busy to care about the elf. Yet here you are, still posting about it. Who pissed in your cornflakes? The elf at a guess! There you got free idea for day 1.

I told them that it is a game that not everyone plays.
our 'game' is to make an elaborate ginger bread house.

^😂

Surely not enough people have them for this to be an issue? I've only ever come across them on Mumsnet

Thank goodness these weren't around when my children were younger. I think it's perfectly reasonable to tell your children if you don't want to do it (and I don't blame you) that they're not real.

There's no obligation to keep other people's manufactured fantasies alive - it's not remotely comparable to Father Christmas and in any case everyone knows that part of the excitement of the Father Christmas experience as you grow up is that from about six or seven children are whispering with friends about whether he's real.

I really object on the grounds that people seem increasingly to be drawn into the idea of Christmas as some Mega Magical Month of Wonder where the stakes are constantly upped as to how magical you can make it for your children. Children don't need much to be excited. A few fairy lights, an advent calendar, a school fete, a carol concert, Father Christmas, presents and a big family get together should do it.