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Original poster

Gentle ways to kill the elf

66 replies

Blankiefan · 22/10/2022 08:52

9yo DD is on the cusp of not believing anymore. She's quite a young 9yo - still plays a lot with teddies, for example. We're happy for her not to believe whenever shes ready. But as long as she chooses to play along, we're happy to play too.

But the elf needs to go. Its a pain in the bum and we should never have started it. We've suggested a couple if times that Elfie might not visit this year as she's too old. DD isn't playing ball!

Any tips for binning this one that keeps the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" philosophy alive?

OP posts:
VelvetSwimmingCrab · 22/10/2022 08:53

Any younger cousins or younger siblings of friends that the elf needs to visit now instead?

modgepodge · 22/10/2022 08:54

Elf arrives on December the first with a note for her explaining he’s tired and will be taking a nap in one place for the whole month? Or has to disappear again to go help Santa this year?

Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 22/10/2022 08:56

Just get the elf out on Dec 1st and that night write a letter that all the elves have been called back for an urgent meeting at the North Pole and won't be returning this year.

Askinvillarblues · 22/10/2022 08:57

We have never had an elf as I couldn’t be arsed with it all on top of the rest of the Christmas stuff - when the kids asked why their friends had one and we didn’t I just said that parents had to ask Father Christmas in advance if they wanted an elf, and I thought they’d been good so didn’t need one! You could try that?

Greenstar22 · 22/10/2022 09:01

The elf is a complete arse ache but it's probably going to be her last year. Do you do all that crazy elf stuff? Can you scale it down and just move it around a bit? Maybe leave a note in week 2 they have important elf work to do and then just do the last few days.

Billybagpuss · 22/10/2022 09:02

Tell her that This year they need all the elf magic to sort the economy out so we can still have Christmas so it’s her responsibility to plan the elf’s mischief. Then just let her play with it.

Billybagpuss · 22/10/2022 09:03

Billybagpuss · 22/10/2022 09:02

Tell her that This year they need all the elf magic to sort the economy out so we can still have Christmas so it’s her responsibility to plan the elf’s mischief. Then just let her play with it.

Ps so so glad the elf didn’t exist when mine were young

pictish · 22/10/2022 09:04

My kids were too old for the elf by the time it came about. It's a cute idea but I'm glad I never had to do it. It's such a bind and I'd bloody forget as well.

I dunno how you explain his non-appearance positively.

What a pain.

Singleandproud · 22/10/2022 09:04

I started doing the Elf before it was a 'thing' in the UK. I was a SAHM and had plenty of time, once I went back to work things had to change. As our Elf was older and more 'senior' he became a supervisor of other Elves and just left DD a chocolate coin hidden in the house each day (instead of an advent calender) only visited DD on the weekend on 'his' day off. Worked a treat, when Dd stopped believing she became the elf and would set him up around the house instead.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 22/10/2022 09:05

Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 22/10/2022 08:56

Just get the elf out on Dec 1st and that night write a letter that all the elves have been called back for an urgent meeting at the North Pole and won't be returning this year.

That won't work if her friends have elves though?
So grateful they weren't a thing when mine were young!
I'd send a letter from the elf saying he/she hasn't been very well and is really tired. As she's a grown up girl, would she help him get into mischief by choosing what he does each night.
Takes some of the magic away but it's not as brutal as just not doing it.

SunshineAndFizz · 22/10/2022 09:06

Tell her the elf has Covid this year?! Grin

IglesiasPiggl · 22/10/2022 09:07

Last year, when our elf left on Christmas Day, he left a note explaining that he had loved coming to visit us, but now it was time for him to move on to bring joy to another family with younger children. He left some sweeties as well 😊

MeridasMum · 22/10/2022 09:12

Singleandproud · 22/10/2022 09:04

I started doing the Elf before it was a 'thing' in the UK. I was a SAHM and had plenty of time, once I went back to work things had to change. As our Elf was older and more 'senior' he became a supervisor of other Elves and just left DD a chocolate coin hidden in the house each day (instead of an advent calender) only visited DD on the weekend on 'his' day off. Worked a treat, when Dd stopped believing she became the elf and would set him up around the house instead.

I like this idea. A supervisor elf!!

I'm free this year! DTs (9) both now know 'the truth' so no more elf nonsense for us. I, too, wished I'd never started it!

Shortpoet · 22/10/2022 09:22

Make a leg cast for the elf and have a note that he isn’t allowed to move until 24th dec.

Gentle ways to kill the elf
Theimpossiblegirl · 22/10/2022 09:26

Our elf started before the madness, so just sat on a shelf the whole time. Anyone starting out, I recommend you do the same.

Op, it's the last year, could he be less active but still make an appearance? He could even leave early or go away for a bit to train up new elves.

monicagellerbing · 22/10/2022 09:27

I couldn't be bothered with elf last year so I put him in a box with a see through front with a note in to say he have covid and couldn't come out the box but he was still watching them! I even made him a little mask out of kitchen roll. Did the job and the kids still loved it

pictish · 22/10/2022 09:30

Thing is, I can imagine it would be fun the first few times you do it. The first week or two, getting creative and delighting the kids. Then you start running out of ideas/time/enthusiasm for getting out of bed at 1am because you forgot to do the bloody elf.
It would get old for me after a week, never mind the whole of December every year.

Think everyone should just can it entirely now.

pictish · 22/10/2022 09:35

I could be wrong but I thought the initial idea was that he would move around and be watching from different locations throughout the house. The kids would look for him in the morning?

It morphed into this stage set idea. He wasn’t simply watching from behind the biscuit barrel, he was up to all sorts of Insta-worthy shenanigans. It has become a bit of a monster.

Lonlov · 22/10/2022 09:40

You don't have to do crazy and elaborate things every night. Just move the elf.

One night on the stairs, one night kitchen counter top, one night sat on the sofa, one night on the kitchen table.

Just move the elf.....

I think it's inevitable for parents that go OTT to tire of it. Elaborate scenes of Elf playing in flour and all that - of course you will run out of steam spending an hour every night not only trying to think of something but also creating the scene, but really if you just move the Elf even from one side of the table to another - your DD still gets all the wonder from it and you don't get the stress.

Popular one for us is hanging it on different door handles round the house.

I would start this year and say this is the last year now, Elves stop visiting when children reach double digits in age.

Then you can do one last Christmas Eve goodbye from the Elf and leave a little Christmas gift or something (pack of hair bobbles/bubble bath sort of thing).

Luxurysleuth007 · 22/10/2022 09:43

What about Elfred sending a note explaining that now he is 90 years old (10 Elf years for every 1 of ours 😏) he is too old and can’t stay this year and to wish your DD the very best Christmas and that he hopes all her future Christmas’s will be great too.

rainbowlou · 22/10/2022 09:44

The last time ours came he was retiring that year and Santa asked DC if he could stay with us permanently.
He lives in the toy box now and is barely noticed.

jtaeapa · 22/10/2022 09:46

How about you get a very large box of chocs, sit the elf on it with a note saying Dear DD, I bought you some chocs and I would love it if I could join your teddies/live in your bed from now on.Love Elf

SuperCamp · 22/10/2022 09:48

Elf flu.

BooksAndHooks · 22/10/2022 09:48

We had them arrive with a poem last year explaining now they were double figures they will no longer have magic but just be part of our Christmas decorations. When they have children of their own they will have the magic again.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 22/10/2022 09:48

Perhaps say something like...
In a pre-Christmas drinks session, things got rather vocal over the electricity bill for heating the workshop, this degenerated into a brawl and culminated with Santa pushing several of the elves off their shelves - to their death.

Sadly DD's elf was one of these.Sad

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