Elf On The Shelf Support Thread

[disneys]

Hello everyone !

this is a thread for parents struggling with that effing elf on his effing shelf , sharing ideas and support . What’s wrong with just giving your kid an advent calendar ? Why must we do extra ?

my son is 3 and this is our first year doing it . All the mums at nursery said they were doing it and I didn’t want him to miss out . Read him the book at bedtime on Wednesday and then husband and I set up a little door on the landing and had the elves sat next to it and it was quite fun , and today we had them sat in a pile of sweet wrappers with chocolate round their mouths . I’ve been trying to get ideas on Pinterest but I’m not going to lie I’m not sure I can do 22 more days of this !!!

so this is a place to moan , share ideas and encourage each other to move that blinking elf every day

 

[candyland_]

Search on Instagram and see what others are doing.
We’ve never done it as my daughter was already older when it got popular. I don’t like the idea of it anyway.

 

[disneys]

I’m regretting starting it but I also didn’t want my son to hear from others about a magical elf that his nursery friends had coming to visit them and wonder why he didn’t have it / if it was because he was naughty …. Ahh parental guilt !

 

[Rocknrolla]

Great thread idea. I got in bed last night and forgot to move the bloody thing, on day 2 pray for me x

 

[hannah1799]

Hate the idea honestly if it’s causing stress to do it then shouldn’t be doing it. I hate the naughty and nice culture around Christmas, the amount of people that have already asked my daughter if she’s been ‘good’ does my head in.

 

[Yel]

I love hiding the elf, probably one of my fave bits of Christmas. Although it's gone a bit overboard in the last few years as they've collected a wardrobe for the elf .

Can't stand it when people waste food over staging it, those grim Inghams seem to keep spreading Nutella everywhere and on the elf's

 

[Jellybean093]

We done it when my eldest was 9 and our 6yo was 2. My husband has wanted to do it every year since, but I completely refuse, because I hate that little elf and it’s always me that has to think up ideas and sort it when he’s fallen asleep and forgotten about it. He asked why he doesn’t have an elf () and my eldest, now 13, said ‘oh, he doesn’t know we’ve moved house’ saved the day and my sanity!

 

[WeHadFunRight]

I’m surprised this thread is only on its first page

I seem to have fallen on my feet as my daughter takes the elf to bed and cuddles him and if you suggest he gets up to mischief she gets very upset - apparently he’s just a very well behaved elf come to visit for a bit

I saw in Asda they’d put the elf riding on one of their reindeer ornaments which my little girl thought was wonderful.

I do think at 3 and 4 there’s no need to be too elaborate! I believe in you - you can do it

 

[disneys]

I’m surprised this thread is only on its first page

I seem to have fallen on my feet as my daughter takes the elf to bed and cuddles him and if you suggest he gets up to mischief she gets very upset - apparently he’s just a very well behaved elf come to visit for a bit

I saw in Asda they’d put the elf riding on one of their reindeer ornaments which my little girl thought was wonderful.

I do think at 3 and 4 there’s no need to be too elaborate! I believe in you - you can do it

So tonight the elf is hanging from the kitchen light with string , no backstory needed . My 3 yo will find it hilarious and my nearly 9 month old is (obviously) oblivious

we have a boy and girl elf and neither have names . We asked my son but it’s probably a bit above his station to name them and he said “elf and Moe (moe is our cat !!!)” …. So … he has my imagination I suppose

husband wants to name them Jingle and Belle

 

[Sailorontheseasea]

We just tend to make the elf play with different toys of theirs, you can keep it really simple or we do the classic snow angel in flour on the kitchen table but that’s as far as it goes food wise or even just things like putting him on top of the tree gets a laugh. My 4yo absolutely loves it, my 2yo was mildly terrified at the prospect but actually is enjoying it a lot now. We keep the whole premise that you can’t touch/play with him because he’ll lose his magic and then he won’t get back to the North Pole (he arrives on their mini trees for their rooms) and the kids really believe it and find it hysterical when I react really dramatically to them going near it so stupid really but its just a bit of fun isn’t it! Nice to have that little bit of extra magic for not crazy amounts of effort.

 

[disneys]

We just tend to make the elf play with different toys of theirs, you can keep it really simple or we do the classic snow angel in flour on the kitchen table but that’s as far as it goes food wise or even just things like putting him on top of the tree gets a laugh. My 4yo absolutely loves it, my 2yo was mildly terrified at the prospect but actually is enjoying it a lot now. We keep the whole premise that you can’t touch/play with him because he’ll lose his magic and then he won’t get back to the North Pole (he arrives on their mini trees for their rooms) and the kids really believe it and find it hysterical when I react really dramatically to them going near it so stupid really but its just a bit of fun isn’t it! Nice to have that little bit of extra magic for not crazy amounts of effort.

I do agree - I put way to much pressure on myself

 

[Sailorontheseasea]

I do agree - I put way to much pressure on myself

We all do it my lovely I find Christmas so overwhelming anyway so the elf gets about 0% of my creative capability your 3yo will love it no matter what.

 

[I’mThankyou_]

We dont do the elf now my eldest is 9 and my younger 2 don't really get the concept yet.
But for those with 4-6 year olds we used this idea a few years ago. We drew glasses and a tash on my then 6yo, and the elf. Took a photo of them both together and left a note saying take a sELFie with me check mums phone. For the morning. Went down a storm! Happy drawing

 

[watermelon sugar]

I don’t do it personally my little boy is nearly 3 and don’t think he fully understands/would care just yet. there’s some handy helpful guides online though

 

[WeHadFunRight]

Do we need to resurrect this?

 

[disneys]

Do we need to resurrect this?

Yes !!!

 

[WeHadFunRight]

So my little girl is 5 and tbh she is just happy that the elf moves. Tonight I’ve put him in a small toy basket having a tinsel party with Barbie and a skiing polar bear (of course!)

she’s been watching loads of Elf on the shelf YouTube…. So now I’ve absorbed some pressure even though I don’t think there really is any!

 

[Sure…Media!]

My elf ended up in the shower in an embrace with Barbie. Side note: do not leave husband in charge of these things

 

[Halliestar]

Last night tonight