Opinions on Elf on the Shelf and Christmas eve boxes

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All opinions

No elf on the shelf (I can't be arsed) or Xmas eve box (I think it detracts from the present opening on Xmas day).

My kids love elf on the shelf
They’re 8 and 3 I have a horrible feeling we will be doing it for a few years yet they already talking about how we can’t let him eat the mince pies this year

Don’t do Xmas eve boxes twee consumerism am lost as to everyone’s obsession with hot chocolate and bath bombs

I think that the hot choc lates, Pj’s, bath bombs etc help them wind down for bed and stop them being so excited. Only in my experience anyway. It just makes them a bit easier to put to bed

No 'Elf on a shelf but we do a Xmas eve box and its lovely. We have Santa come round on a flatbed lorry which we go out to see and come back to open the Xmas eve box. Its just pyjamas, puzzle and new book so not expensive. Everything is so hectic on Xmas day that this is a lovely, cosy, gentle way to enjoy the festivities.

Is funny how all these kids “need” pyjamas on the same day but they aren’t presents.

Elf on the shelf is WAY too much of a faff. From what friends have told me, it's great for a week but then you run out of ideas and keep forgetting to sort it out for the next morning, just a real PITA.

I do an Xmas eve box for my DC's, we got given one when eldest was small so thought I may as well. I put some chocolate, some new pyjamas, a key for santa and the night before Christmas book which we read at bedtime. I would give them pyjamas as a present anyway and the key and book are reused each year. I'll usually pop in a sticker book each or something like that, a little bit of tat
The kids do really enjoy getting the Xmas eve box, but tbf they wouldn't know any different if I'd never done it.

Hate it all

They’re naff and awful. And they’re done more for social media so people can post #makingmemories shite.

We have elves that bring the advent calendars on December 1st and they stay until Christmas Eve. We don't do the elf on the shelf though, the children just like to play with them.

Christmas Eve box is pjs, sweet treats, craft item and a new book. Nothing expensive or ott. My children love it so will continue to do for as long as they get joy from it.

I've personally never understood or done the Christmas Eve box I feel they get enough on the day !!

@AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings I love the Bethlehem dinner idea! Sounds like something DH and I would love!

I also agree that the majority of what I plan to do with DD is for my benefit! I've always been a huge fan of Christmas and love the little traditions each family has.
DH and I have different traditions from our family growing up and we want to incorporate some of those as well as start new ones with DD.

It's sad that some people considering spoiling children to give them an early present of pyjamas the night before Christmas. I'm 34 and until my DM died 3 years ago, she always gave me pyjamas, wrapped up on my bed on Christmas Eve for after my bath. I have no idea if it was so I didn't look scruffy in photos, but I always remember running into my room to see if they were there. I do know that I got 1 less gift on Christmas Day

HolyFork I like the idea of doing the xmas eve box on the 1st Dec, I might steal that idea.

It's sad that some people considering spoiling children to give them an early present of pyjamas the night before Christmas. I'm 34 and until my DM died 3 years ago, she always gave me pyjamas, wrapped up on my bed on Christmas Eve for after my bath. I have no idea if it was so I didn't look scruffy in photos, but I always remember running into my room to see if they were there. I do know that I got 1 less gift on Christmas Day

I'm so sorry for your loss MsSquiz. I know exactly what you mean, being so excited for the Christmas eve pyjamas. My DGM (the Christmas eve pyjama giver) for her last Christmas, was so determined that she would still give us all our pyjamas. She's been gone 7 years, I still have them, I only wore them once for Christmas eve.

Soooo unbelievably tacky.

I don’t do Elf on the Shelf, I’m busy enough in December without adding in more crap to honk about, however I do a Christmas Eve box for DS with new pyjamas, a Christmas themed book, hot chocolate, a candy cane and some bubble bath. I think it’s a nice way to get in the Christmas mood.

I have a three year old and a one year old. We made the decision not to do either. I think presents are for the big day otherwise where does it stop. But they do have new pj's for Christmas eve night. The elf, I saw as spiralling out of control as another thing for me to have to think about! Admittedly my son would probably love it but I have a hard enough time filling tiny wooden drawers of an advent calender with things he won't choke himself on... Christmas is truly magical but also hard work, I think I do enough!

I do Elf on the Shelf, but its purely for DS benefit. Pictures are taken to make photo books that he can look back on - but nothing shared on social media etc

No Xmas eve box here though, instead we have a host of bits that come out at the beginning of December each year.
•the box of Christmas themed books that I have picked up over the years
•Christmas mugs as we have a hot chocolate station in the kitchen from September.
•'winter' pyjamas are usually brought by the elf a few days in and will be worn until outgrown.
•christmas bedding etc we do together as part of our decorating

no right or wrong way to do things, but this way works for us.

Both are utterly naff and are ways to get us to spend even more money on the consumerfest that is now Christmas.

Mine are (nearly) grown up but I’ve always done a mini Xmas eve box (fresh pjs for photos, the same Xmas mug for the memories and a bath bomb) before it was a thing. Being a Christmas mad woman, I probably would have gone with EOTS but hated it after the first year. Luckily it wasn’t around.

I love how people are determined that Christmas Eve boxes are expensive materialistic nonsense, no matter how many people say they use the same books/DVDs/Santa plates each year, and lets be honest, the bath bomb in the bathroom cabinet and the hot chocolate sachet hovering beside the tea canister are so much more exciting when presented in a festive hamper, but hardly extravagant

I guess it's bit about the box itself. It's the expectations and one upmanship that may come from it. Like the elf on the shelf thing.

If you are happy doing your thing, great. But some parents may feel obliged to make theirs bigger and better, after seeing other boxes, or kids coming back and reporting that so and so gets x,y and z in their Christmas Eve boxes.

Both twee consumerism...for the kind of people who do baby showers etc

DH and I have a joint one too with fancy Christmas booze from m&s and a book each

Ooh, I like that idea!

Hell no to both. I don't have an issue with people doing either quietly in their own homes, it's when they're banging on about it on social media or asking why you don't that it starts to grate.

Elf on the shelf is creepy, loads of hassle and I don't buy into telling children they have to be good or they won't get any presents. It's not like if they're little shits you're going to cancel Christmas for them so it's empty threats as far as I'm concerned.

Christmas Eve boxes.... I don't really see the point? We have traditions....hot chocolate and reading The Night Before Christmas then putting the plate out for Father Christmas so I don't think a Christmas Eve box is necessary, rather just an added hassle that seems to have popped up in recent years as one more thing you've got to do.

@Pelleas I agree that Christmas threads have come early this year and I'm fully on board. 2020 has been god awful so far and I need something to look forward to....it may as well be Christmas .

@Cookerhood

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.

This. Do you really want to have to think of 24 new and original ideas (and remember to move the thing every night) every year until they leave home?