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Christmas

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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:
MillicentMaybe · 20/12/2023 15:43

Elf on the Shelf is old hat. This is the way to go now.

Christmas Elf - thank fuck it's a recent thing
WhatsTheUseOfWorrying · 20/12/2023 15:53

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

Or that the Elf police (North Pole Constabulary) caught up with him/her and s/he is now banged up for theft, trespass & damage, vandalism and absconding from justice.

Sorry kids, it’s a minimum term of 10 years.

Notsurehwhattdo · 20/12/2023 15:58

Never done it, no plans to. DS, 7, doesn't seem too bothered.

AlhambraQueen · 20/12/2023 16:27

My 9 year old asked if we could do it even though she knows it fake. I said we never had it when I was young. We don't even celebrate Christmas! She's been hearing about it in school.

AuntMarch · 20/12/2023 16:35

I just don't get it.
"This elf is here to keep and eye on you and make sure your behaving so father Christmas will come (never mind how much of a little shit you've been Januaray through November).... look how naughty he is!!"

Just makes no sense.

PPs way of allowing their child to give them a gift was lovely though!

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 20/12/2023 16:37

oh hell yes, so glad we dodged that one. Best one I've seen is the one where you give them a sock and they go off and live a happy life as a Free Elf

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/12/2023 16:38

WhatsTheUseOfWorrying · 20/12/2023 15:53

Or that the Elf police (North Pole Constabulary) caught up with him/her and s/he is now banged up for theft, trespass & damage, vandalism and absconding from justice.

Sorry kids, it’s a minimum term of 10 years.

Show quote history

Both awesome ideas which I will do next year for sure

Caspianberg · 20/12/2023 16:42

No way. It’s just more work for parents, and creepy as hell. I don’t like the idea of telling children they are being watched constantly

Singleandproud · 20/12/2023 16:49

@AuntMarch PP whose DD gave her gifts through the Elf here - Our Elf has been such a lovely addition to our family traditions - even with my half arsed approach. I was really quite sad when a year or so after doing ours all these other Elves appeared, literally with fake CCTV cameras that parents could stick o the wall so that the child thought they were being watched all the time, it must make the child feel awful let alone when they find out the truth. Same as using Santa for behaviour management, how lazy and creepy to tell your child to be 'good' because Santa is watching instead of actually dealing with your child's inappropriate behaviour.

Do the elf or not, but it absolutely is what you make it like most things in life.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 20/12/2023 16:49

Gdcs are 8, 7, and nearly 4, and dd has never done it. AFAIK they have never felt deprived or asked why the elf doesn’t visit them.

Dd does a lot of other Christmassy stuff with them though, and Father Christmas is always very generous.

Greenandgreed · 20/12/2023 16:50

Mine are 15 and 13 and were just about old enough for me to ignore it when it became popular . Ditto Christmas Eve boxes / Christmas PJs etc - thank goodness . Just more unnecessary stuff that nobody needs . Mine have stockings and plentiful presents but I really try hard now not to buy anything they won’t want or need. Huge guilt here about the state of the world I’ve brought them into

rainbowhairchalk · 20/12/2023 16:53

I was dreading it as it has been our first time this year but I've actually really enjoyed it! DH and I working together to come up with an idea and then executing it and seeing DC's laughing face. We haven't done too many messy ones which I wouldn't have coped with but what we have done has been fun 😊

HelpMeGetThrough · 20/12/2023 16:54

Ditto Christmas Eve boxes

I've no real idea what these are about, but if it's boxes of "stuff", our two would want alcohol in them.

MrsDilligaf · 20/12/2023 17:07

Not happening in this house. DD has been wittering on about an elf this year "but mummy!! everyone else has one!!!"

I'm not giving in.

TheLurpackYears · 26/12/2023 20:16

Absolutely not. 2 primary aged dc. They've asked and I've said no, I have enough else to do. There was at least 1 child in the yr4 class who thought the elf was a real thing and my dc told them it was her mum doing it. I wasn't popular.

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 26/12/2023 20:19

We thought we'd escaped until DDs football coach gave all the girls one as a gift a few years ago. We've been stuck doing it since 😡.

Pretty sure this is the last year of her believing in Santa and the Elf. I will be sad at the demise of Santa but the Elf can fuck off.

Abbyant · 26/12/2023 20:46

We’ve told dd4 that she doesn’t need an elf to tell Santa if she’s been good because I’ve got santas phone number. Cba with having to plan elf activities.

THEDEACON · 27/12/2023 02:34

It's not compulsory Why would there be consequences?

Ladyj84 · 27/12/2023 02:43

Nope 4 kids and still nope. We have our own Christmas ways we don't follow trends lol

coxesorangepippin · 27/12/2023 02:52

Oh I just couldn't keep it up

Awful invention

palmtreesoliveleaves · 27/12/2023 03:32

Hell no. Rod for your own back that one.

It was bad enough the 2 nights we had it years ago when it was brought home from nursery.

Topseyt123 · 27/12/2023 04:02

Never did it. Ridiculous fad. My "children" are in their twenties now and have all survived somehow.

Elf on the shelf can go fart somewhere!

dizzygirl1 · 27/12/2023 06:55

I've got 16 and 14 year old, first year not doing it since my eldest was 3. It's about having some fun, activities that we'd do during December anyway, the elves brought. A toilet roll down the stairs or made into snowmen, all can be reused.
As with everything, it is what you and your family make it.

Christmaswrap · 27/12/2023 07:03

Gosh, the official elf on the shelf is an enormous us company run by some very glamorous ( and scary looking!) mum and daughters. I’m not a fan as I mentioned on my Etsy shop that a thing I’d made might be fun for your elf on the shelf to deliver and that was enough to get my product delisted, they said for copyright infringement. Not very Christmas spirited!

WhatsTheUseOfWorrying · 27/12/2023 07:12

Christmaswrap · 27/12/2023 07:03

Gosh, the official elf on the shelf is an enormous us company run by some very glamorous ( and scary looking!) mum and daughters. I’m not a fan as I mentioned on my Etsy shop that a thing I’d made might be fun for your elf on the shelf to deliver and that was enough to get my product delisted, they said for copyright infringement. Not very Christmas spirited!

Oh wow, that is interesting.

So one of the the Elf’s pranks is to set lawyers on the parents? Bet the kids didn’t see that bit of mischief coming.