Elf on the shelf? I don't get it!

[mineandyours]

Someone help me understand elf on the shelf.

It's a toy elf who watches your children and reports to Santa if they've been bad or good? What? Why?

And he sets your children challenges and activities? To what end or purpose?

And you have to move him around every day?

I don't get it. Is this even fun for the parents??

You could say that about any parenting thing though?

We’ve done it for 8 years now so it’s not a recent fad for us by any means. I consider myself the EOTS hipster because I did it way before it was cool . It can get a little tedious tbh, we’re a few years down the line so I’m running out of fresh ideas! But my DC absolutely adore Norbert the elf and they genuinely look forward to his appearance every year.

They hunt for him each morning, he just does weird things around the house. Today he’s made a snowman out of loo rolls for example. It’s a bit of a fun really, nothing sinister behind it.

This is the first year I'm doing Elf Proper. My DD got given one a couple of years ago and I used to move it around a bit and she loved it! Our Elf comes to spread festive cheer. No spying or reporting back to FC here!

This year I am going to do a few little 'scenes' with the Elf - feeding the rubber ducks in the bath, relaxing in a flamingo ring again in the bath, making a snow angel and she also has a Christmas jumper to wear one day! Apart from that she will just move around for DD to find. The Elf was sliding down the bannisters today! I don't think it's much work for so much joy for my DD. I think the only danger is me forgetting to move the Elf!

@camelfinger - I think that's a bit strange too. Our Elf just does fun things.

We don't do the spying thing, it's creepy. And I think the one that goes with the book is especially creepy - we have a handmade one. But we do move him around and he does naughty tricks like leave flour and eggs all over the kitchen worktop, decorate the hall with toilet paper and draw moustaches on the family photos (on the glass!) when he first arrives he brings advent calendars and chocolates for my boys' bedroom trees.

And those little pretend security cameras that Santa can watch if you are being naughty or good are just plain weird
That's just not on. I hope those kids save them for when the parents are very old and may be equally freaked out by them.