Who DOESN'T do elf on the shelf and what are your reasons?

[Mrs_T]

I'm just interested really...

I LOVE the idea of elf on the shelf, but for me I don't do it as I kinda think there's already such a lot going on at this time on year for them to get excited about. I also think it's cos we never had/ needed it when we were kids. But a part of me keeps wondering if it would be good fun to go for it! Think I'm also held back cos if I did it one year, I'd always have to do it!

 

[x_WelshGirl_x]

I bought an elf last Christmas ready for this Christmas. But as we cannot put the Christmas tree up until we either have a completion date on our house move or until we actually move I thought there was no point.
But, we put my mums tree up on Saturday, and we have told Alex if he uses the potty, the angel is watching and will tell Santa how well he is doing. So I brought down our elf last night with the advent calenders, and told him he will be sitting on the mantel piece, doing the same job as the angel. I'm hoping it works and then next Christmas, I'm thinking about doing it properly. But at the minute it's for toilet training purposes lol.

 

[tommyg]

I don't do it for various reasons.
A, it's pure commercialisation kids have been told Santa is watching them for generations no need for an elf in the house.
B, it must feel like a CCTV camera in your living room.
C, Going back to point A, Santa is magic and watched all the time, how does the elf watch when child is elsewhere another room or nursery?
D, I'm thinking the more lies you tell them about Santa the quicker they figure it out. They may twig the elf before they twig the whole Santa thing.
E, Given I only heard of the elf last year how do you explain if their friends don't have an elf?
F, And yes once you start it you have to keep doing it.

 

[Larkspur]

1. Don't do the whole naughty/nice thing so elf is pointless.
2. Find the actual elves creepy in themselves.
3. Seems more like a marketing gimmick than a tradition.
4. Have a philosophical objection to items that are ostensibly for children but that children are not allowed to touch.
5. Agree with PP that it seems like a way for kids to figure out Santa faster. Keep the lies simple!

 

[tommyg]

I forgot about the bit of kids aren't supposed to touch the elf. The just seems like putting temptation in their way and a invite for tantrums or grannies who don't see the point or knows w the rules handing it to them.

 

[shellideaks]

I'd never heard of it until I saw it on here. It looks good but seems like a lot of effort and tbh I just can't be bothered

 

[aimee-lou]

Same as above. Its too much like hard work. Lol

 

[Rhio92]

It seems like a lot of effort.




They're just plain scary looking things, it'll give me nightmares

 

[Mrs_T]

Yes, I agree.. Santa is watching and that should be enough.

 

[monkee12]

I don't do it either, think it's a waste of time x

 

[Elphaba12]

We do it but don't stick to any rules like the no touching etc and we don't really emphasise the whole watching and reporting back to santa too much. The elf just brings the advent calendars on dec 1st and stays with us until Xmas eve to have some fun. Some days he does nothing other than get lots of hugs from DD

 

[leoniebabey]

i dont have the time or imagination to do it.
We do have an elf teddy (cute one from card factory), he brought our advents and will bring/send santa letters and replies but that's about as far as it goes.

 

[Bid]

Hmmm I'm afraid I can see this thread dissolving into an argument, as plenty of people are doing it and could get a tad narked at it being branded as commercialised and creepy. I know you didn't mean it that way OP, just saying I can see where this is heading

Personally I am doing it but not with a creepy elf (ours is a gundt soft toy one), DS can touch him all he likes and he doesn't watch/report. He has a magic door which he goes through every night back to the North Pole and because DS is such a good boy (even if he's not, positive reinforcement and all that lol) santa gives the elf a little chocolate xmas pud, which he puts in the drawer of the wooden advent train he brought with him. Occasionally he will bring an xmas book/film back with him (already have these but wanted to spread it out to stop him getting overwhelmed). Or a note telling DS what christmassy thing we're doing that day. I'm too lazy to do any of the fancy stuff lol.

That being said, I agree that the original elf is a bit creepy looking to me personally, and I try not to tell DS that he won't get any presents if he's naughty because he's such a sensitive little soul that it'd probably stop him sleeping for a week lol. Plus he's bound to be naughty, as all kids are, so I'd have to say it all the time and then do major backtracking on xmas day. But we do tell him that his chocolate treat is for being such a good boy the day before, to gently encourage him to behave. He'd still get it even if he'd been really naughty all day though, because by the morning all is forgotten

 

[Incubus]

I think it's a cute idea but I'm lazy and would get bored after a few days if I'm honest

 

[AP]

I'm not a fan

 

[pinklizzy]

We did it a couple of years ago but I made my elf and he's not that creepy!
He just gets up to naughty things overnight for DD to find when she gets up in the morning-no reporting to Father Christmas or anything like that. She can't have chocolate so doesn't have an advent calendar, it's just something different in the countdown to Christmas.

 

[the why bird]

I'm with Elpheba, we do it but not with the usual rules (I hid the book because I hate the no touching and the naughty/nice parts). I'm not doing anything that takes a lot of work because I know me and I will fall behind and I don't wanna set expectations too high! Santa is a fun imagination game for us rather than something we try to make them believe is real so I'm not worried about them believing the elf is real, either.

So yeh, half-assed elfers here! He's mostly just going to pop up and suggest fun activities to try and get them excited about the spirit of Christmas rather than the pressies - so baking, decorating, donating, cleaning...

But I love that creepy little doll! It's so fun and retro.

 

[marina294]

i never heard of it and i just dont have the time to arrange it all atm either and my eldest is only just getting the xmas thing so dont want to overwhelm her..however this pic came up on my news feed and made me giggle .

 

[pinklizzy]

I've actually just realised that our dog got to the elf last year and broke his neck
I shall need to try and fix him today while she's at school!

 

[wishuwerehere]

I don't. I don't...get it? Like, what is it? What's the point? Also my dd1 is so over wound up just by the advent calendar, I'd imagine an elf might make her explode!