Elf on the shelf

[Boopuff]

I refuse to buy into the Elf in a shelf”. Am I the only one? I just think some of the stuff is outrageous and some is cute, but to continue the charade is exhausting!

 

[starlite_]

I find them incredibly creepy. I'm honestly surprised there hasn't been a horror movie about them yet.

 

[prairie_girl]

I refuse to buy into the Elf in a shelf”. Am I the only one? I just think some of the stuff is outrageous and some is cute, but to continue the charade is exhausting!

I am SO happy that this came along after my daughter was no longer the right age for it. I would have hated having to do something every night. I get making Christmas magical, but there comes a point where it’s just overload.

 

[nw6675]

We half heartedly did it and it's how DD figured out about Santa.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I have enough crap to do in the lead up to Christmas that I don’t need to deal with an elf too. I also find them creepy.

 

[tvguy]

Elf on the Shelf free zone here.

 

[Southernmiss]

The craze started after mine were too old. And I probably would have hated to add one more thing to the season.

But when my niece was 5 and in kindergarten, she started some misbehaving in school and my sister was asking me for advice.

I suggested an elf to her as it might be something to help her daughter stay on track because the elf would report to Santa. It actually worked and they had many years of elf fun and added a girl elf along the way.

My niece is now 18, but has fun memories of all the shenanigans the elves got into.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Luckily it wasn't a thing when my kids were little. However, the teacher I work with (I'm a teaching assistant) has one for our classroom. She makes a big production of the having the elf arrive on December 1 by getting another staff member to leave it outside the door and knock to the rhythm of Jingle Bells before running away. She brings in a huge box, labeled from the North Pole, and opens it to reveal that the elf is back (we're a special ed class so some of our kid stay for two years). Then she reads the Elf on a Shelf book and a letter from our elf. The teacher gets really into the whole thing and looks on Pinterest for ideas to stage the elf each day. But by the time winter break rolls around, she's over it and can't wait to put the stupid thing away! She's going to be traveling next week and I'm going to be the substitute teacher on December 1 (Friday). I already told her I was going to let her unveil the elf when she gets back!

 

[ronandannette]

I am SO happy that this came along after my daughter was no longer the right age for it. I would have hated having to do something every night. I get making Christmas magical, but there comes a point where it’s just overload.

Here in Canada, only amateurs do Elf on a Shelf. Quit yer whinin' and try relocating this, eh:

 

[ronandannette]

Luckily it wasn't a thing when my kids were little. However, the teacher I work with (I'm a teaching assistant) has one for our classroom. She makes a big production of the having the elf arrive on December 1 by getting another staff member to leave it outside the door and knock to the rhythm of Jingle Bells before running away. She brings in a huge box, labeled from the North Pole, and opens it to reveal that the elf is back (we're a special ed class so some of our kid stay for two years). Then she reads the Elf on a Shelf book and a letter from our elf. The teacher gets really into the whole thing and looks on Pinterest for ideas to stage the elf each day. But by the time winter break rolls around, she's over it and can't wait to put the stupid thing away! She's going to be traveling next week and I'm going to be the substitute teacher on December 1 (Friday). I already told her I was going to let her unveil the elf when she gets back!

I know I'm probably a terrible person, but this has me chuckling at some of the really filthy ones I've seen on-line.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Did the Elf on a Shelf thing for years. He came the day after Thanksgiving and brought a small gift and left on Christmas Eve with a small gift. I did plan a few more elaborate things for him to do, but often he just moved around the house. There were more than a few times when dh or I would sit up in bed and say, “S**t we forgot to move the Elf.”

My boys are now 14 and 16, so our elf days are long gone. I got him out of the Christmas tote today, and sat him on the mantle, where he will stay all season.

It was fun, but I don’t miss it either.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We don't have an elf. My job is next-level insane during December and I can't imagine adding another thing to it - we already do lots of meaningful Christmas activities but I drew the line at the elf. No judging parents who add it to the magic of Christmas they make for their kids; it's just not for me.

I am assuming he'll ask about it someday and we'll simply tell him that some families have elves, some don't.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I was actually sorry this got popular after my son was a little old for it. I was a SAHM when he was little and really would have enjoyed the creativity of it.

But, a few years later, my friend's twins got a pair of them (from their grandmother - mom was not on board) and one kid touched the other's elf...horror and tears ensued...and after witnessing that, maybe I'm not so sorry I missed out.

 

[Meriweather]

Never had one when my kids were young and the grand kids have never had one.
Something we never saw the need for

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We managed to avoid them in our home until the Christmas my younger one was 9. My older one already knew the truth, but the younger one still believed. We went to a Christmas in July pool party and won an Elf on the Shelf as a grand prize. Lucky me.

I had two Christmases where I had to keep up the charade. Our elf's antics were never as fun and involved as her teacher's. To make matter's worse, we traveled for Christmas the second year. That darn elf came with us and then had to magically disappear on Christmas day into my luggage without getting lost for the following year. Thankfully, she learned the truth after that, yet they still wanted me to have him do funny things. That lasted for a year, they took over for a year, and now he just sits in a bin. Whew! I hate that stupid elf!

 

[WarEagleFan]

It looks like I’m in the minority, but my DH and I actually had fun doing this for our DDs I will admit that I was clueless about it in 2003, when my 7 yo DD came home and told me she wanted an elf like her BFF. I told her that people didn’t own elves, but she was so insistent about it that I finally called her BFF’s mom and asked her what in the heck is my DD talking about. I guess she gave me the condensed version because I didn’t know there was a certain elf you were supposed to get and just went to Hobby Lobby and got an elf. This elf was bigger than the official elf on the shelf, had moveable arms and legs, and quite frankly was way cuter - my DD loved that her elf was different than everyone else’s elf

 

[Magical2017]

I think a lot of people don't like Elf on Shelf. We love it here. I still get out the elf for my teens and we hide him. It's fun. I will probably start off the elf season with him baking a batch of cookies. We have some elf clothing but stopped buying the outfits. He is pretty decked out, though.

There is so much crap going on in the world that if someone wants to do something fun as part of a tradition, I say have at it. The one thing I won't do is try to make gingerbread houses any more. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this tradition, but I have never been able to get the house to stay together. I have tried different kits and different frosting and it ends up being a hot mess.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

We have one for decoration only.
It's my understanding DH did it extensively when his kids were small.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I think he’s creepy. I don’t want one more thing to do during the holidays and honestly, my kid is already stressed out by the idea of being on the naughty list.

 

[dizneegirl]

Can't stand them.