elf on the shelf

LoriLee14

is it just me, but i do not understand the allure of the elf on the shelf. (I have not read the book)

littlelamb99

I like it because it's a visual reminder that he will report back to Santa if your child has been good or bad.

Eh, it's fun for us.  DH loves moving him every night.  

Rink08

I think that it's creepy and don't want one in my house. The occasional photo of them doing random things can be funny but I don't want my kids thinking that something in the house is always watching them and tattling on them.

LoriLee14

I am sure if my child was older like your 4 year old and he enjoyed it.. I just see my friends with children under 1 and they are doing it. 

AimeeL85

It's something that can be a fun holiday tradition, like lots of other things.  There's been so many posts lately with people not getting it...I think people are overthinking it. It's just for fun.

StephNJer

It's funny, I posted on FB a few days ago saying almost exactly that. I feel like I'm the only mom who doesn't do it. I think it's creepy. And a whole lot of work.

MAprincess

My kids love waking up in the morning and running around the house to find where he is hiding.  The book is cute and catchy.  So, really, the allure isn't meant for adults so much as the kids.  They also try to guess which window he sneaks in and out of every night.  They have decided he is too little to use the door.

We don't push the "he's watching you and tattling" thing.  The kids just see him as a sign that it is Christmas season.  Kind of like a wreath or Christmas tree.

lisamoe

I've tossed the idea around of getting one.  It won't be this year, DS will have no idea whats going on. 

jenniann87

We dont have one yet as I think DS is still too young for it. But I think it is just another fun holiday activity/tradition to do as a family. I know that my SS has one at his maternal grandmothers house, but I dont know the extent to how they use it. I think that we will probably get one next year for the 2 boys. I like the idea of using it as positive reinforcement and not as a "Santa tattletale".

joyfullyfound

I think it's just as much fun for the parents to hide him in interesting places as it is for the kids to find him... maybe more so. 

I'm not interested in doing one. I don't mind elf  on the shelf, we just have other fun Christmas traditions we'd rather focus on. If one day our kids wanted to do one, then we would. 

Cherryblossoms07

I don't get it either.  I find it creepy; right up there with clown dolls.  Either MIL or my mom brought up getting it one year and I told them no.  It would have ended up in the garbage if they hadn't listened..

5LittleBears

It's a HUGE hit in my house!! My son is too old so he helps H & I with it The little ones absolutely love it.

hayleydeee

Hav=Fath:

As with everything it can be as whimsical and fun as you want it to be, or as serious and creepy as you want it to be. Hadley is way too young but we got one this year, I think that she will enjoy finding him each day and we'll enjoy hiding him. 

This was pretty much my thinking. I might try to find one on sale after Xmas this year.

I don't think I'd do the whole "watching over your bad behavior" thing. For one I don't think it would work, and also it just doesn't go with our parenting style. 

notkateanymore

Oh I love it.

notkateanymore

Am I the only one who doesn't use Santa as a way to get DC to behave? We never have really pressed that part of the whole Santa myth. 

notkateanymore

CnAmom:

I want to know how many people tell their kids that the elf is watching them and telling on them. The thought of telling my children that there is a small man hanging around watching everything they do is rather disturbing to me.

I can't imagine why.  

homediva

I don't really get it either. I guess it kind of bugs me that it is marketed as "A family tradition," it just seems like they are trying to sell more units...I feel like traditions are a little more personal than that, or should evolve more organically...but I guess it could be fun with older kids. 

StephNJer

KateMW:

Am I the only one who doesn't use Santa as a way to get DC to behave? We never have really pressed that part of the whole Santa myth. 

We don't do that either. Honestly, and maybe I should save this for UO, but I kind of judge those that use Santa as bribery for good behavior. The same behavior is expected out of my kids the other 11 months out of the year as it is in December.

SallyAnneS

homediva:

I don't really get it either. I guess it kind of bugs me that it is marketed as "A family tradition," it just seems like they are trying to sell more units...I feel like traditions are a little more personal than that, or should evolve more organically...but I guess it could be fun with older kids. 

This is pretty much how i feel as well.  I don't find it creepy at all and it might be fun.  But the marketing angle they took to sell it really bothers me and that is why we stay away from it.

ElatedMom2B

We started with ours last year and have fun wih it. Our 4 year old loves it and would talk about "Blue" from time to time through the year. She really gets a kick out of finding him every day and imagining where he'll be the next day. I don't use him as a form of discipline, but as pp said, a reminder that the holiday is coming.

HarrietNJMommy

My oldest has been asking for it for 2 years. She's never read the book or seen the movie, but her friends have it.

We got one last year as a Christmas gift. I will open it this year. I'm sure my kids will LOVE waking up each morning looking for this darned elf. I'm not as excited about it as they are. I feel like there are too many people that take this whole thing to a level that's way too much work for me. 

notkateanymore

HarrietNJMommy:

My oldest has been asking for it for 2 years. She's never read the book or seen the movie, but her friends have it.

We got one last year as a Christmas gift. I will open it this year. I'm sure my kids will LOVE waking up each morning looking for this darned elf. I'm not as excited about it as they are. I feel like there are too many people that take this whole thing to a level that's way too much work for me. 

This is my issue with it. A) All her friends have one and she's seen it in stores a million times, so she doesn't "believe" the story that goes along with it. I wouldn't be a good elf...I would forget to do it, etc.  

ElatedMom2B

KateMW:

HarrietNJMommy:

My oldest has been asking for it for 2 years. She's never read the book or seen the movie, but her friends have it.

We got one last year as a Christmas gift. I will open it this year. I'm sure my kids will LOVE waking up each morning looking for this darned elf. I'm not as excited about it as they are. I feel like there are too many people that take this whole thing to a level that's way too much work for me. 

This is my issue with it. A) All her friends have one and she's seen it in stores a million times, so she doesn't "believe" the story that goes along with it. I wouldn't be a good elf...I would forget to do it, etc.  

I am laughing at this because I have totally made U-turns or last minute isle changes in the store to avoid going by them!  I am sure I would make up a story about it, that some people get theirs in the store, etc. (ours was a gift anyway, so we did tell her that someone bought it), but I avoid raising the question as much as I can! LOL

MAprincess

ElatedMom2B:

KateMW:

HarrietNJMommy:

My oldest has been asking for it for 2 years. She's never read the book or seen the movie, but her friends have it.

We got one last year as a Christmas gift. I will open it this year. I'm sure my kids will LOVE waking up each morning looking for this darned elf. I'm not as excited about it as they are. I feel like there are too many people that take this whole thing to a level that's way too much work for me. 

This is my issue with it. A) All her friends have one and she's seen it in stores a million times, so she doesn't "believe" the story that goes along with it. I wouldn't be a good elf...I would forget to do it, etc.  

I am laughing at this because I have totally made U-turns or last minute isle changes in the store to avoid going by them!  I am sure I would make up a story about it, that some people get theirs in the store, etc. (ours was a gift anyway, so we did tell her that someone bought it), but I avoid raising the question as much as I can! LOL

DS has seen it in catalogues and I just tell him that must be someone else's elf (because ours is clearly hanging from the chandelier, sitting on the tv, etc).  That seems to be good enough for him.

jnksmom

We have never used Santa as a way to make our kids behave so I don't like the idea of the elf reporting back to Santa. Also, I do not want to have to keep up with moving the elf  and making him do silly things every night. I would probably forget many times as well.

My kids have not seen it or talked about it at all. If they really wanted one I might get one and try it but otherwise I am not getting one.