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??

I don’t get why it’s such a big hassle? The thing costs £3 and you can just move it around the house before you go to bed, doesn’t have to be fancy.

I know it’s all commercialism yadda yadda, but it’s not as bad as all the Christmas duvets/sofa cushions/tea towels/cups/matching family PJs........

I think the elves are more for parents to post on social media. ‘Look what a fun mum I am’.
Tell your daughter that they only go to certain types of people’s houses and wink. Hopefully she will copy.

I’m miffed by this whole social media rubbish. What about all the people who have the elf visit who you don’t see on social media? Moaning about elf on a shelf on social media is far more annoying than the elf itself

Mamaryllis. My "scenes" aren't elaborate 😂😂. Nor do I gather household items and "squirrel away", that made me laugh! I didn't realise I'd have to go into detail for you but ok. On a evening a few months back I had a look for maybe 30 mins online for ideas and made a list of a few ideas. Another night for about 30 mins I did the same. Then a few weeks ago I got the things I'd need and put them in a Tesco bag for life. Now I look at my list and see what I need to take out of the bag or where I need to put the elf easy peasy. I'm not sure why it would take you months to write endless lists, and take up so much time to do. If you don't want to do it then that's fine but you can't really judge someone who does do it when you've never done it yourself. - Especially if your imagining big elaborate scenes 😂. I fell asleep on sofa last night, woke up at 5am and put the elf on the kicthen table with advent calendars and a note saying I'm back. Took approx 5 mins? Each to their own tho. My DC enjoys the elf coming and has been looking forward to it, should I not do it because someone of mumsnet tries to make me feel bad for having a elf?
Nar I think I'll crack on with my own life thanks.✌

When DS asked a few year back I told him Santa didn't need to really send an elf to keep an eye on him because he is generally well behaved (which is true)

It’s just another thing to remember Biscusting along with all the usual daily to do list AND the christmas to do list. I don’t have the time or brain space and resent commercial companies coming up with new tasks for me (let’s face it DH won’t be the one doing it will he).

Realise I sound grumpy, perhaps if I had plenty of spare time I’d see it as a bit of fun.

Well I don’t have plenty of time, in fact I have none. But since it takes 30 seconds as soon as I get up to move an elf i can’t really claim there is no time

Th elf only comes to our house when the children write to it, great for me because they never write a letter until mid Dec which means I don't have to participate in the whole elf thing until then! I was hoping the elf tradition in our house would be coming to an end since my children are 9 and 11 but they are still excited about it!

Oh and I also don't do elaborate things with the Elf and I never post on Social Media. What goes on in my house says in my house and doesn't get posted on any socials.

Tell them that all Elves have to be vetted and have a DBS check.

Sadly the elves failed the check 😂

I feel that it has to be pointed out that belief in elves (goblins, fairies, wee folk, the good people, the others, etc) has been around for centuries, possibly millennia.

However, until this generation, the focus was on keeping them out of your home at all costs.

I’d recommend nailing a horseshoe over the door or sprinkling the perimeter with holy water.

Ours is a kindness elf and he writes to the children and they write back. He gives them a kind thing to do every day. Mine are never as eager to practice their writing as they are in December!

Or say they are invisible elves and everything night leave two biscuits and two glasses I wine out for them

In the morning the children will see that biscuits have been eaten and wine drunk

Win win ! 

Just say you aren't doing it, for goodness sake! We've never had the stupid elf, or the Easter bunny, and the kids hae never asked about them either

I told my DD that the elves only came to those houses where Santa needed someone to see if the children should be on the naughty or nice list and that they didn't come to those children who were definitely on the nice list.

She seemed satisfied with the answer and has never asked since she is now 8 and starting not to believe in all the magic

"Of course we have one - you can't see him though, he's invisible"

I told mine it was commercial tat today. Because it is. They are 9 and 6. Barely any kids they know have one. I’ll be amazed if yours even asks.

It's bloody weird.
I have never ever said to my kids that Father Christmas only brings gifts to 'good' children. The idea he not only judges them, he actually sends a bloody spy in to tell tales is just disturbing.

So glad my kids were all grown up before this shit arrived

Who needs that smug beady eyed little wanker to worry about when there’s enough other stuff going on.

@FiveNightsAtMummys I'm exactly the same as you, I made a quick list of ideas. My son loves waking up in the morning to see what the elf has done and I love doing it to see his little face so excited and happy in the morning.
If people don't want to do it then don't .
I don't plaster it all over social media either. I purely do it because I enjoy it and my son loves it!

Confused by the people who don't have the time to do the Elf but seemingly have time to post angrily about it on Mumsnet over and over again. .

Thanks for amazon link. I had genuinely never heard of it and my youngest is only 13.
Am still a bit confused.

It takes half an hour every night tops to do something fun for children to wake up to. Your daughter is 5 and has asked you about the elf how could you even say no.