Opinions on Elf on the Shelf and Christmas eve boxes

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The planet just can’t take it.

Unnecessary consumerism

Do it if you want to. But don't think you're better than others who opt not to do it.

If it's not your thing don't do it. But don't think you crap for not doing them.

If you have a really strong opinion either way and think they are a really big deal, get a life. They really are nothing to get het up about.

Never had it when I was a kid. The elf thing is a bit creepy and it always seems to fall to the family member who is already stressed enough in the run up to Xmas to do all of the fannying about with the damn thing! I have enough on my plate keeping up with the Xmas lies without adding a whole other layer.

We don't bother with a xmas box either but have always been allowed (and I do this with mine now) one present to open from under the tree (usually from an auntie or similar).

Is it me or are the Christmas threads starting really early this year?

Not complaining about it, just an observation.

Elf on the shelf just seems like to much faff for me so we never bothered. Christmas Eve we do a new book and chocolate for everyone after watching a Christmas family film all snuggled on the sofa.

I'm always of the opinion that everyone should do Christmas in a way that suites their family and their finances. Don't worry about what others are doing just focus on what makes you and yours happy.

IMHO they just ramp up the pressure for an expensive, competitive festive period.
We get enough pressure from the traditional media & from SM to provide more & more unique "stuff" every year, it really is getting ridiculous - and this level of materialism just isn't sustainable, environmentally.

The same goes for Halloween.

Sorry to be a killjoy, I'm not really.

I do both.

Xmas eve boxes - usually pjs, a nice new mug with hot choc, reindeer food , Xmas story etc. Nothing expensive. The kids love it.

Elf. - wish I had never started this bastard trend. My DC talk about it from September onwards. It's very magical every morning, but shitty to have to keep thinking of ideas 😂

Celebrate Christmas how you want. I personally find things like Santa Cams, elves watching children etc a bit creepy. I admire the imagination of someone who can come up with 24 mischievous things for an elf to do- but find the repeated presents from the elf a bit excessive. Mine enjoy Lego advent calendars. We have a Christmas Eve box... But it's reused stuff each year, like Santa's plate and the stockings, with some repeated stuff like a gingerbread house kit. We have Christmas bedding... That's about 6/7yeats old, bought when they were baby/toddler (but it wasn't babyish, to make it last). Their stockings could be seen as expensive... As I would rather buy a £5 book than a novelty pooping reindeer. Everything in their is useful, but enjoyable. Adults get stockings too.

Do it your way. But don't exhaust yourself.

Box: we reuse the same box every year along with same items inside so it has lots of sentimental value. Only additional new items are festive pyjamas and a pack of popcorn. Kids can pick their pyjamas if we see something nice. We do put reindeer food (bird seed) in too but always have that in the cupboard anyway. The kids know we make these, it’s a ritual not a suprise.

Elf: Arrives on Dec 1st with a nice breakfast and the advent calendars. Comes to play until Christmas Eve. The kids think he comes alive at night when everyone in the house is asleep and they play with him like a Barbie doll/ often cuddle him and set him up with a book on the sofa for the night. No spying/ report back to Santa tales. No elaborate tricks though we often do set up a scene or two mid-December with him and an empty bowl cereal or in the bath if we feel like it just for a laugh. The kids think it’s funny.

Just remember that anything you start has to continue for 20 years+. Fortunately we had our children before all this started (or we weren't aware of it!). Ours had a wooden advent calendar that we put little treats/sweets in every day in December when they came home from school.

Wish I hadn't started elf on the shelf, ours always gets lost on the way back from the North Pole now, he stays for about a week.

Christmas Eve boxes - can't get on board with that, presents are for Christmas Day.

I do both too!

Both DC have an elf on the shelf - I'll give them theirs when they're older to do with their own children if they so wish. They look forward to it every year and me and DH have fun thinking of something for them to

Also do Christmas Eve gift bags, that consist of new pjs, a Christmas bath both, maybe a cheap DVD/popcorn. Nothing overly exciting but nice to help wind down on the night.

Too much faff for my liking.

Christmas Eve - we only do new pyjamas but have a tradition of eating certain food for dinner.

Elf - I got loads of ideas off Pinterest so was completely prepared. He mainly hid and they had to find him, Dh was also great at moving him around. I bought the traditional one and performed surgery on him so he would have posable arms and legs. This showed me that he is cheaply made with a roll of crappy cardboard and a bit of stuffing. I was worried he would die on the operating table.

He arrived bringing cereal we would never buy and was limited to downstairs as he would freak the children out otherwise. The message was truly that you can be a really great kid but sometimes you can do naughty things, but it doesn't make you naughty. Father Christmas welcomes back the Elf.

A word of warning, don't think that the minute they stop believing in FC means the Elf stops. I finally stopped it last year when my sons were both teenagers! Mainly because he felt like tradition. So be aware that what you start, you may never stop. They still hang stockings for Father Christmas on the fireplace, they still get bits and bobs in there, nothing serious, all the good stuff comes from us.

Don't do either - sorting presents and the tree is enough work. We do have some books that are dug out (Night before Christmas, and the Mr Men Christmas ones), and Christmas Eve will involve hot chocolate, some telly, leaving out cookies or mince pies and a carrot and whisky.

I tried the new pyjamas thing but thanks to growth and weather patterns they tend to be brought out for Guy Fawkes instead!

Last Christmas was the first year my DD was old enough to understand what was going on, and we introduced Elf on the Shelf. 8 months later, she's still talking about it! A bit of a faff, but well worth it for the impact it's had.

We don't do Christmas Eve boxes though. Extra expense, another bulky item to store the rest of the year - doesn't seem worth it. Christmas books and such make their appearance at the beginning of December when the tree goes up, so they can be enjoyed for the full run up to Christmas.

Too much effort and unnecessary consumerism.

Elf in the shelf. Puts pressure in parents to be inventive and spend more effort than needed, when an advent calendar/candle is more than enough to help with the 'countdown' to Christmas. (Don't get me started in toy calendars!)

Christmas Eve boxes, just another reason to buy moree stuff. Starts off as new PJs, morphs to new PJs and DVD, to PJs DVD, Mug, hot chocolate & popcorn. Then adds in a snall toy/book/puzzle.

Soon Christmas Eve boxes will be like Christmas day with kids receiving something like:
PJs
Slippers/socks
Dressing Gown
DVD
Mug
Hot chocolate
Popcorn/bag of sweets/mince pies
Toy(s)/board game

And kids will still get stockings/sacks the next day full of stuff.

I love creating the magic for my dc, but I dont think being watched by an elf or getting new pjs is magical. I think both are social media bandwagon and our traditions are those that are personal to us and have evolved over time.

Don’t do it.

Xmas eve boxes - usually pjs, a nice new mug with hot choc, reindeer food , Xmas story etc. Nothing expensive.

They are all Christmas present stuff.

@HolyForkinShirt

I do both.

Xmas eve boxes - usually pjs, a nice new mug with hot choc, reindeer food , Xmas story etc. Nothing expensive. The kids love it.

Elf. - wish I had never started this bastard trend. My DC talk about it from September onwards. It's very magical every morning, but shitty to have to keep thinking of ideas 😂

PJs £5 Mug £5 Hot chocolate sachet 40p Reindeer food...£1? Book (if buying a new one?) £4?

That's c. £15 per child, or perhaps more? That's not cheap!

We just make gingerbread biscuits for Santa on Christmas Eve and watch a Christmas movie on Netflix. My kids don’t really need mugs and new pajamas.

Elf on a shelf seems a massive faff. I suppose if you have the time and energy to do it.

A few years ago, a friend did the activity a day for every day of advent. It bloody nearly killed her. 😂

I’m looking forward to my advent calendar though.

I love Christmas Eve boxes. I don't buy them a new mug: they have a Christmas mug that I put into the box, with hot chocolate, marshmallows, a bath bomb and their Christmas pyjamas.

My two used to get so sick with excitement that they tended to feel ill on Christmas Day, but the boxes seemed to give them a focus and calm them down.

Elf of the Shelf can do one, obvs.

Elf nope, dont get it and wont be introducing it to my DS.

Christmas eve box I did for the first time last year when DS was 2.5. Now I am pregnant with #2 I have realised I actually just want a family one rather than one for each boy. So this will be the last year for DS own one and there will be a lot of recycled things in there, special cup, christmas book, santa plate etc. Only new things will be pjs and an activity book, i.e. sticker book or something. Everything else will reuse from last year.

I am strictly presents only on Christmas day so no pressies in it.

I resisted EOTS for years, but then my kids started school and DD kept asking why an elf didn't visit us. So I gave in last year. Our elf isn't a spy though, but we've never done the naughty/nice thing anyway. I'm glad I only started it last year because it is a pain, but the kids loved it!

Don't do an official 'xmas eve box', but always have new PJ's and sometimes I might get a few biscuit decorating bits ect. Last year the elves left said 'bits' but no box was involved and the kids wouldn't notice if I didn't do it, so I'm tied into it every year.

Don’t do the elf. It may be fun for the first couple of nights then it ends up ‘oh shit we haven’t done the elf - what will we do with it tonight??’. Besides his creepy little face is enough to give the children nightmares.

I haven’t done ‘boxes’ but do little packs for my nephews and nieces who go to stay with mil - so it’s arts stuff, gingerbread, little books etc (to keep them occupied and out from under the frowns ups feet)