The Elf on the Shelf, we’ve all heard of it, and if you haven’t then which rock have you been living under?
Anyway for those of you with moss on your shoes, The Elf on the Shelf is just that, a little elf on a shelf, he’s Santa’s spy, sent to sit around your house and keep those little people in your life well behaved for fear of coal in their stocking from Santa…
It’s cute, and a fun concept, filled with magic for your children when he moves each night around your home…… but apparently he’s naughty!
Although he’s Santa’s narc, he’s a ‘do what I say, not what I do’ kinda guy. I had no idea how bad this little guy is!
I have been seriously thinking about getting in on the action because I thought it would be cute and great fun to set up things for the kids to enjoy… I have been reading so many blog posts about the elf antics and wanted in. I was hooked. I googled him and then amazoned him and discovered that to become part of the elf on the shelf crowd I would have to part with $29.95….. That’s a lot right?! But I was sold.
I was already in full making up tricks mode after following @elfshaming on twitter and reading some great posts from Badassmama and People I want to Punch in the Throat.
So when Miss Gremlin got home from school, we had a chat about the elf on the shelf, and who he is and what he does… and did she think she’d like to be part of the fun? She had heard of it and thought that it could be fun and when I told her about some of the tricks I’d read he’s gotten up to she couldn’t wait to get one…..
Of course Grand Master D and The King were skeptical but I was in and had sold the idea to Miss Gremlin….
At bed time instead of reading, we took the ipad and googled him, then we went on amazon to chose our very own little Elf on the shelf to buy. She chose a boy one with blue eyes… Operation Elf on the Shelf was a go. Afterwards we did read Harry Potter for a chapter and she settled down to sleep.
About 45 minutes later she came out, with Diary of a Wimpy Kid in her hands and said “mum I’ve changed my mind, I’ve been reading wimpy kid and they had an elf on the shelf and it’s creepy’ So I asked her to show me, which she did and then she said ‘I really don’t like the idea of him doing things around the house when we sleep mum, I feel weird about it.’
Elf from Diary of a Wimpy Kid
I think this shower scene did the damage
I was a little disappointed but tried not to show it, I hadn’t ordered our Elf yet because we had company and I was distracted, then I thought about it and realised I had totally dodged a bullet!
What was I thinking? She’s 8, I’ve already written about how I suspect this is our last Christmas believing, why am I trying to introduce a new tradition, and then it hit me, I’m trying to keep the magic alive. I wanted an Elf on the Shelf, no one else, just me. I wanted to do all the tricks because it looked like fun, I wanted to continue the magic of Santa and Christmas. I wasn’t ready for it to be over, but it’s not over, not yet, she still believes. I don’t need to start something new or spend more money on it, she’s still in…..
So as I settled down myself last night I said a silent thank you to Greg Heffley, who was creeped out by the Elf on the Shelf and Jeff Kinney for writing it that way.
Comments 13
<3 Your children have great taste in books.
I can empathize. My boys, 11 and 8, STILL believe in Santa because I believe in Santa. I think the older is a little skeptical but somehow some amazing miracle happens every Christmas to keep him believing 😉
I wouldn’t want a creepy elf in my shower, either. I think your girl made the right decision. So did you. It’s bittersweet watching their childhood slip away, little by little, though, so I do relate to your desire to make the most out of every minute of it.
I think you lucked out. That stupid elf gives me the heebie jeebies. I posted about it earlier this week here: http://www.findingninee.com/elf-on-a-shelf-is-creepy/
Glad your daughter still believes! 🙂
LOL!! I literally just spit coffee out my nose at that picture of the elf in the shower! OMG!
I’m so glad when my kids were younger, the Elf on the Shelf was not popular. I’m so very afraid I would have traumatized my kids for life with the creep. I’m with Kristi – he just gives me the total heebie jeebies.
Thanks for linking up with the GtKY hop!
I find the elf on the shelf to be creepy too. Mine are all older, and we missed this one. It’s like Charlie and the Chocolate factory creepy!;)
I’m with your daughter on this one! The Elf totally creeps me out and I just don’t get it.
Kori has a elf on the shelf it was a gift. But it sits in the back off the cupboard cause it scares him.
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Yeah creepy little bastard…..
lol…yeah i find him creepy too…
You must be so proud of Miss Gremlin. She sounds wise beyond her years!
I just ordered an elf. Yep. The thing is I don’t even know if I am going to tell my daughter about it. If I do she will just cry to hold him, then cry when I say no and then cry some more. So, I bought the elf for me and not for magic or even Christmas. I just want in on the funny photos and the being silly and the laughing with the other adults. It is a little creepy, but for some reason I find that part funny too. Plus, I might play a few pranks on my husband if I can sneak the elf in past him. It will be great until the dog gets it and chews it’s hands off…just like what happened to Barbie.
Yeah, my eight year boy also informed me that he doesn’t believe in Santa and then he worked on his 4 year old brother to ‘enlighten’ him…so no more Santa at our place either! 🙁
Aw, that was funny AND sweet. I will have a really hard time parting with those traditions when my kids are older. And I missed the whole Elf thing as he scared the crap out of my kid two years ago and we swore to her we would never see him again. Sheesh.