’s Complicated’ while you sleep.
I know you legions of Elf-ers, if my Pinterest feed is any indication, are all outraged at me right now and that’s ok. I feel like I should tell you that it doesn’t remotely bother me if you use it in your house, lots of friends have it, including my friend Erin who let me steal her photos of Phineus. She’s waiting for the day when her kids are like 15 and she can have ol’ Phineus dancing on a stripper pole or engaged in other completely inappropriate behaviors.
I am not telling you to ditch yours or that you shouldn’t have one. That would be as assinine as me telling you to ditch any of your other holiday traditions.
I hear your cries of, It’s fun! They love it! It gets them excited for Christmas! It’s not meant to be taken seriously! If that works for you and yours, go right ahead. I’ll laugh along with you at the hilarious pictures of Inappropriate Elf and marvel that you have the time and creativity to come up with these great ideas in the midst of an already crazy holiday season.
We’ll just be Elf-less over here.
Fess up. Is there an Elf on your Shelf?
35 comments:
I could have written those first 6 paragraphs. No Elf. I could do a kick ass job but…NO.
It's the extra effort to me. I know I would get bored with it after 4 days... but my friends? Some of them are SO creative with it. I love watching what they come up with every day. :)
Yes! We have an elf! I doubt I would have gotten one myself, but a grandma bought it for us. I do not do as many crazy things as some folks, and do not say anything to Max about the elf reporting on his good or bad behavior--that part of it skeeves me out. I almost did not do it this year (24 hours of panic when I could not locate our elf!) and started to think of a creative reason why the elf was not visiting us, but I started it on Dec 2. Seeing Max's eyes light up this morning when he saw the elf had started to make his lunch was the cutest! I think your post about picking and choosing what activities to do is the important thing!
Nope, not here either. One more thing. Even though my son is begging. I am thankful I can now tell him his elf is in his classroom. I also agree with the whole Santa thing. I hate lying to my kids. So I don't lie. I tell them how much fun it is to pretend and this Christmas tradition is a ton of fun but that Santa is a character. When my oldest was little he was more shocked that Dora is a character than Santa. Lol.
No elf on my shelf and I especially love that you are teaching your children to behave without threat or reward. That is a tricky and difficult thing to do, but as a teacher I THANK you! I get how the Elf on the Shelf can be so fun, but I don't have time for it and also, like you, don't want to use gratification in that way. I also don't tell the kids to behave or Santa won't bring their presents. They see Santa at the mall for pics, but I'm increasingly wondering if we should take away the "Santa is real" thing. I don't know. You are really hitting me in all of the areas I have been wondering/thinking about lately! Well done! Loving your blogs...although I always do!!!
You had to know I wouldn't have one. First off I'm usually too relaxed (er, hum inebriated) in the evenings to bother setting up elaborate scences. Secondly I already feel like I'm lying to my kids by pulling off the Santa thing. And third I get my hackles all up over seeing pictures of the Elf bringing gifts of food coloring filled junk.
Thanks to all these elf posts, my elf is suffering from low elf-esteem. You're right, we all need to do what works for us and not worry about anyone else, I just wrote a post about it:
We have an elf, but we don't do much with him. I am one lazy-ass elf mother. :)
We have an elf, which my punks love. Personally, I'm a lazy elfer and typically forget 14/25 nights to move him, and if I'm being completely honest, he's never arrived that early.
I have high hopes in making some serious elf magic happen this year, but realistically I'll be thrilled if I actually remember to move him every night. Go me!
No elf here. It's great that people do it. I think pretending with Santa is enough for me.
YES. Yes to alllllll of this post. I think it's creepy and one more thing that just doesn't need to be there. When we have kids, I don't plan on having a creepy doll moving around the house and reporting back to Santa. After all, doesn't Santa have eyes and ears everywhere and he doesn't need elves living in houses and getting into trouble?
I am so glad that there are some people who aren't on this band wagon. I just don't understand it.
No elf over here. I have a hard enough time remembering to get a tooth out from under the sleeping heads of my children. Why would I want to add another job to the list - one that I am sure to forget?? I do have friends who love their elves, but I am ready to let go of Santa as well. Not sure my kids will agree!!
No Elf at our house! And I love this post. Everyone and their dog has an Elf on their shelf and my kids are asking when ours is going to show up. NEVER!!!
We have no elf. We will never have that elf. I find him incredibly creepy. Also, I don't have time for that. I have enough going on without trying to think of 25-30 creative things for that stupid thing to do.
Thank you! I'm pro-choice with the Elf, but I think they're just terribly creepy. And yeah...ain't nobody got time for that (in this household)!
Great post - enjoy the heck out of your holiday preparations and traditions! :)
We have an Elf AND we teach our children to behave all year round, regardless of who is watching them. Wish moms were able to blog without including thinly veiled criticisms of other people's choices.
Hell no because 1. it's creepy, 2. it's a pain in the ass, 3. it's creepy, and 4. it's way too much work.
Anon, that wasn't my intent and I'm bummed it read that way for you.
Exactly! You took the words right out of my mouth! Could we? Sure! Do we? No way!! For pretty much all of the reasons listed ;). From one creative blogger to another - amen sista!
NO elf here. To each their own, but I have absolutely no understanding of how it makes sense to use a misbehaving elf to threaten your children into behaving. (Hello, irony - thy name is Elf?!?) I am completely with you in expecting my children to behave because it's the right thing to do YEAR ROUND, not just when the fat man in the red suit is on the way. Oh - and above all else, that elf is creep as hell. No way it'd come anywhere NEAR my house.
Oh Michelle, I'm so glad I no longer feel alone. I keep my mouth zipped about the elves on shelves all over the place because I'm afraid of someone poisoning my eggnog and then saying, "Well, she was a grinch anyway." Kidding. Sort of. I do, however, say a little thanks that this fad did not catch on to this extent until my son was too old anyway. I had a love-hate relationship with the Santa fib, and it would have been just too much for me to pretend that silly elf went to Santa to report on his behavior every night! But yes, I will laugh at everyone's silly poses and smile when their kids tell elf stories. As long as I don't have to remember it every night!!
Amen, sister!! To each their own and for many families it is a wonderful tradition, just not mine. I've got other traditions that I like to put my energy and talents into. Plus, as a family with 3 dogs and 3 cats, I could completely picture scarring my children for life when Elf was found mauled on our kitchen floor in a pile of white, fluffy elf innards.
My 4yr-old son asked what I thought about the Elf when we saw them on a recent trip to Costco and I was honest with him. I explained that they creeped me out. When he asked me to elaborate, I told him that I was worried it would try to eat my face off while I slept. He thought that was hilarious and loves to tell people of my fear. He agreed it was creepy, but not as creepy as clowns in his world.
P.S. I am amazed how this expensive concoction of plastic and felt has become so polarizing in the parenting world and I think it very respectful of you to reply to anonymous folks who complain.
Love your blog 'cause we agree on so much. Even that it's OK to disagree. But no elf for us. I think he's creepy and like you, we have enough to do already. Plus why do people make the elf do naughty things? I don't