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Original poster

Christmas Elf - thank fuck it's a recent thing

64 replies

Whattheheckcarer · 20/12/2023 14:07

It sounds horrendous - does everyone do it now? What are the consequences if not doing it? I think it would have sent me over the edge in the final week when kids were in primary school.

OP posts:
DuploTrain · 20/12/2023 14:08

My DS is 2.5 and I will not be doing it. Ever.

sprigatito · 20/12/2023 14:09

We have never done it, but we are planning to do it next year. Kids are 21 and 19. We are going to take turns to do it, with prizes at the end for the funniest and most offensive efforts.

Singleandproud · 20/12/2023 14:19

Depends on what you make of it. I did it before it became a big thing and wanted it to add a bit of magic to December.

The first year it just hid and left DD a gold coin and I'd sit it next to any craft materials or ingredients for Christmas food that we would have made anyway. Or next to Christmas activity books or by the tree when it was first put up. All things we would have done normally just with the Elf sat next to it.

When I went back to work he became a supervisor elf for all the mis behaving elves out there so I only had to do it at the weekend when he had time to visit. The best thing about it was as a single parent I would make a big fuss of the gifts I'd like for Christmas and then buy them for myself and have the 'Elf' deliver them to DD with gift wrapping materials and she'd keep it secret until Christmas day and bring presents out proudly.

Parents make a rod for their own back trying to emulate social media content, making the Elf naughty and causing loads of mess (and then regret it) or even worse using them as a behaviour management tool with fake CCTV Elf cams.

Original poster
Whattheheckcarer · 20/12/2023 14:23

sprigatito · 20/12/2023 14:09

We have never done it, but we are planning to do it next year. Kids are 21 and 19. We are going to take turns to do it, with prizes at the end for the funniest and most offensive efforts.

I can see it would be fun at that age - its when you've got the whole magic of Christmas riding on it that it becomes so stressful (I even managed to screw up the tooth fairy a few times).

OP posts:
Original poster
Whattheheckcarer · 20/12/2023 14:24

Singleandproud · 20/12/2023 14:19

Depends on what you make of it. I did it before it became a big thing and wanted it to add a bit of magic to December.

The first year it just hid and left DD a gold coin and I'd sit it next to any craft materials or ingredients for Christmas food that we would have made anyway. Or next to Christmas activity books or by the tree when it was first put up. All things we would have done normally just with the Elf sat next to it.

When I went back to work he became a supervisor elf for all the mis behaving elves out there so I only had to do it at the weekend when he had time to visit. The best thing about it was as a single parent I would make a big fuss of the gifts I'd like for Christmas and then buy them for myself and have the 'Elf' deliver them to DD with gift wrapping materials and she'd keep it secret until Christmas day and bring presents out proudly.

Parents make a rod for their own back trying to emulate social media content, making the Elf naughty and causing loads of mess (and then regret it) or even worse using them as a behaviour management tool with fake CCTV Elf cams.

Edited

I love the idea of Elf getting your presents. I've changed my mind, maybe I'll do it after all!

OP posts:
WhatsTheUseOfWorrying · 20/12/2023 14:25

Elf on the Shelf is easily the most wanky Christmas fad ever.

APurpleSquirrel · 20/12/2023 14:25

We've never done it, nor will. DC are 9 & 5.
Thankfully their school does it so they get to experience it, but without me having to be involved or clear up! Grin

Singleandproud · 20/12/2023 14:41

@Whattheheckcarer DD is a teen now, hasn't believed in many years and I actually massively miss all those annoying parental things we do like the Elf, Tooth fairy etc there are no young children in my extended family anymore and Christmas feels a bit flat without those extra magical things. All though DD did manage to get off the sofa and take a photo of the Lions charity Santa going past our house in his sleigh the other night to WhatsApp her friends.

StrawberryWater · 20/12/2023 14:46

DS is 9. We have never done the Elf thing.

It's an awful concept and even if I didn't think it was wank (which I do) DS would never go for it. He's never believed in Father Christmas so he certainly wouldn't go for Elves.

alloalloallo · 20/12/2023 14:46

My girls are 18 and 22 and we did it of a fashion when they were small.

We had a little pixie I bought from Maileg years ago rather than the official Elf on a Shelf.

She arrived with the advent calendars on 1st of December and just hung around the house in odd places until Father Christmas picked her up on Christmas Eve.

She didn’t do anything exciting - just sat on various curtain poles or shelves just out of reach. Every now and then she’d surprise them with some sort of craft activity, or cinema tickets for a Christmas film, or a new bauble for the Christmas tree and stuff like that.

They used to love coming down and finding her each morning.

shewithnoname · 20/12/2023 14:48

i start off strong... and taper off midway and fail at the end .... personally i think its more fun for older/adults than it is for the littles

Thesearmsofmine · 20/12/2023 14:50

We don’t do it. DC1 is 13 and it seemed to start being a thing when he was a toddler. My youngest has asked about it a couple of times and I’ve just said it’s a story that some families believe in.

I honestly think it’s a social media thing, without Facebook/Instagram it would never have taken off in the way it has. Some people seem to spend a fortune on it each year so they can share it online,

Upsadiddles · 20/12/2023 15:00

We have one, but he just brings the advent calendars, puts a chocolate in each night and moves to a different place. The DC love finding him each morning but there is little effort involved. Although I have bought him a Christmas jumper to put on for tomorrow’s school Christmas jumper day. I personally can’t be bothered with anything too involved/messy although good on those that can. I think some go too far though - I’ve seen some pretty upset looking kids on social media after the elf has eaten all of their advent calendar chocolates or cut up their pyjamas.

HelpMeGetThrough · 20/12/2023 15:02

I think if I tried it with our two boys, they'd think I was on drugs, or pissed. The are coming up 22 and 17 though.

I guess it's more wanky crap that made its way over from America a few years ago,.

Helpel · 20/12/2023 15:03

We have done it for our two (now aged 7 and 8) since they were about 3/4. Like a previous poster, we keep it simple, dont share on social media, and have the elf bring various christmas themed items they would have received anyway, but delivered by the elf's magic. Although it's annoying some nights having to remember to do it and think of new things, the joy and excitement on their faces every morning is so so worth it. Ours 'arrives' in our tree every year - when we pick the tree at the garden centre we sneak the elf to the garden centre employee and they put it in the tree before it is netted. When we cut the net off and she appears - well they are blown away. I am one of life's biggest cynics, but honestly this warms my heart right through. Try it OP - you might like it!

Edit - Just seen your kids are grown up - don't try it then, but maybe see it for it's goodness not its tackiness :-)

Dacadactyl · 20/12/2023 15:16

It came on my radar when DS was in year 5 (now he's year 7)

He started asking if we could do it and I just said "absolutely no way, sorry. It's not a tradition we do or will ever do."

He was a bit put out cos he said "EVERYONE WAS DOING IT", but tbh it was just tough for him.

ChristmasinBurrRidge · 20/12/2023 15:16

Lots of fun - only horrendous if you have no imagination whatsoever.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/12/2023 15:18

I never planned to do it, then my 6 yr old caught wind of it at school and said that’s all she wanted for Xmas.

I hate it- it’s hell. Every night you think you’re done and then you have to think of something and find the damn elf’s- one is always missing.

HelpMeGetThrough · 20/12/2023 15:24

I hate it- it’s hell. Every night you think you’re done and then you have to think of something and find the damn elf’s- one is always missing.

There's the answer. Chuck them and then when asked where they are, say they wanted a game of hide and seek, so they are hiding.

Caterina99 · 20/12/2023 15:26

Ours just moves to a new high up location every night. It doesn’t “do” anything. It’s not really much effort (although I have woken up in a sweat occasionally having forgotten about it)

DD absolutely loves finding it every morning!

gerteddy · 20/12/2023 15:27

I hate the elf! It's so annoying having to think of stuff for it to do. Especially stuff that doesn't take a long time or involve lots of mess. The kids love it though. The excitement on1st December was hilarious.

My eldest is 6 and I would have ended up doing it anyway as most of the kids at school have an elf. There's only 2 kids in her class of 20 something that don't have an elf!

stealthninjamum · 20/12/2023 15:28

I think it’s fun but didn’t do it til dd1 was about 10 so I think she knew the truth. We had fun watching YouTube videos of them moving and every few days I’d move him around - nothing too exciting - one day he’d be hanging from her top bunk (bunk beds), another in the chair as if to watch TV.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/12/2023 15:33

HelpMeGetThrough · 20/12/2023 15:24

I hate it- it’s hell. Every night you think you’re done and then you have to think of something and find the damn elf’s- one is always missing.

There's the answer. Chuck them and then when asked where they are, say they wanted a game of hide and seek, so they are hiding.

Not sure that would work for the entire month.

AtillaTheHon · 20/12/2023 15:34

We finally caved this year after saying we would never! One dc (8yo) doesn't believe in Santa but she's enjoying the elf anyway (and putting in orders, like "i would like it if he left us a note tomorrow morning" 😂)

We don't make a huge deal of Santa anyway. I like that they still believe in magic at their age, but also don't want them to believe so strongly that their world falls apart when they find put. Dd didn't really care and enjoys playing Santa herself now.

Singleandproud · 20/12/2023 15:35

@OnlyFoolsnMothers just tell them they got promoted and have to go help supervise the other new elves, then you only have to think up things to do at the weekends when they are on holiday

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