Am I the only one who thinks Elf on the Shelf is CREEPY??

[Corie]

I can't be the only person who thinks Elf on the Shelf is totally creepy!!!

Am I?

[JTsMom]

Nope, not the only one! I think it's super creepy, and I usually love that kind of thing.

[AnnieW625]

Nope! I have no interest in doing it. I was thinking the same thing yesterday. Plus I have a small house I would have a really hard time finding places for him to hide.

[ast96]

I don't get the trend at all. I think it's creepy and I don't feel comfortable with the behavior modification component a lot of my friends include. The eyes on the dolls weird me out. But if my FB newsfeed is any indication, we are WAY in the minority. I think the Santa myth is plenty to focus on in my family (we're not religious).

[turtle12]

agree! i have no interest in starting it!

[Pear]

I fiind it really odd, especially since so many people talk about it being a tradition even though it is just a product that got introduced a few years ago.

[Cam&Clay]

Oh, it's creepy as hell, but I do it for DS2 anyway. I hate clowns, dolls with eyes that move, nutcrackers, etc., so this freaking elf is not making me happy. It does, however, make DS2 so very happy and helps me to make sure that I don't pass on my phobias to him!

[Simon]

You are not alone. Its nice to know that we aren't either.

[gatorsmom]

I think having a stationary elf sitting on my shelf looking at me all day long and is suppose to start moving at night is creepy. I had a stuffed clown toy that sat on a display shelf in my room when I growing up. I always imagined that thing climbing down and biting me after I went to sleep. This is kinda like that.


Clearly this is my own issue though that I should maybe working out in therapy. ;)

[artvandalay]

Not a fan of the elf on a shelf craze. At all.

[Corie]

and I don't feel comfortable with the behavior modification component a lot of my friends include.




Yes, this bothers me too!!

[hbridge]

I cannot believe that parents are okay with their kids believing that an elf is "spying on them" and reporting their behavior!!!! I see it as very CREEPY and very much encouraging that it is okay for some "inanimate" object to be watching them and it's okay!!!

The Elf feels wrong on so many levels!!!!!!!

[elliput]

Nope, definitely not the only one. I almost posted the same question yesterday.

[Indianamom2]

Count me in....it's creepy like any doll with moving eyes or ANY clown.

I'll pass!

[Drag0nflygirl]

I don't get the trend at all. I think it's creepy and I don't feel comfortable with the behavior modification component a lot of my friends include. The eyes on the dolls weird me out. But if my FB newsfeed is any indication, we are WAY in the minority. I think the Santa myth is plenty to focus on in my family (we're not religious).

:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat: :yeahthat::yeahthat:

My mom just finished asking me why we didn't use "Santa's birds" and "Santa's moths" - two of the things my parents claimed were watching to see if we were being good. BECAUSE THAT'S A HORRIBLE THING TO DO TO CHILDREN, MOM!!!!

[kijip]

We got it this year, my brother had it and recommended it. We are not doing the whole behavior modification thing and def. did not emphasize the "spying" thing. That is strange/creepy to me. However, I like the style of the elf and I like finding a new place for it to hide and the kids like looking for it.

By tradition, I think people mean to say that it is a NEW family tradition they are starting. For us the jury is out on if it will become a tradition.

[trales]

Creepy to me.

[Uno-Mom]

Super creepy. But so are many traditions, new and old. Has anyone actually LISTENED to the lyrics of "santa Claus is coming to town?"

But this is a special new tradition for lists of our friends here - I hope you guys don't feel picked on or that we're belittling something that's sweet for you and your kids! My take is that most family traditions look a little odd to outsiders. :). That's what make us unique!

[buddyleebaby]

I don't like the (original) idea behind it, and I don't like the look of the dolls. (And, my December is also always crazy as it is, I have no desire to add yet another thing I have to do!)

But I have friends who modified it so that the elf is more of a visiting mischief maker than a spy, and their kids genuinely love it. They have come up with some creative and fun things to do as a family, through the elf.

[echoesofspring]

DS is obviously too young for the elf on a shelf, and I didn't realized it was actually a product until reading this thread. But it seems unlikely that we'd play along because....

I have a collection of elves - mostly the ones from the 60's/70's. I just loved them when I was a kid at Xmas, and have picked them up at antique stores, etc. And now people send them to me, etc. I think we've got about about 20 or so. I always group them together and yeah, everyone agrees that that the little elf community on the table is totally creepy. There's no way I'd ever suggest to DS that they were spying on him!

[JTsMom]

I don't like the (original) idea behind it, and I don't like the look of the dolls. (And, my December is also always crazy as it is, I have no desire to add yet another thing I have to do!)

But I have friends who modified it so that the elf is more of a visiting mischief maker than a spy, and their kids genuinely love it. They have come up with some creative and fun things to do as a family, through the elf.

I think elf as mischief maker is really cute- kind of like St. Pat's Day stuff we do. There's just no way I want to take on doing it for 24 days in a row!

[Puddy73]

I didn't think it was creepy until DH sent me this link. Now I feel like the darn Elf is out to get me.

http://imgur.com/a/R21Hm

[JoyNChrist]

I do think it's a little creepy, but DS1 loves it, so who cares what I think. It's fun. I find the whole idea of Santa creepy, but I certainly won't keep that from the kids.

[ZeeBaby]

Not feeling it.

[AngelaS]

Yep. Creepy. It falls under the whole 'how is lying to your children fun?' umbrella for me.

[maestramommy]

No, you're not the only one. But maybe it's all in the presentation. My imagination can be a little too overactive. I don't like dolls with those faces, and it just feels a little too "big brother" to me. Dh thought it might be funny, but I don't know how we'd fit in since we're not even a Santa family.

[ellies mom]

I like the idea of the mischief making, what is that elf up to today, kind of thing so I could see doing that but I just do not like the actual Elf on a Shelf elf. I've tried to. I pick up the box and consider it but I can't get into that particular elf. They have a skirt for it now but that doesn't help. So, I'm kind of half-heartedly looking for a better elf (ok, I'm not looking but if I come across one). As for the spying for Santa bit? Yeah, I don't care for that.



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[Ceepa]

Doesn't fit into our traditions at all.

[artvandalay]

I didn't think it was creepy until DH sent me this link. Now I feel like the darn Elf is out to get me.

http://imgur.com/a/R21Hm

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

Hahahaha~ OK now I REALLY think it's creepy!

[traciann]

I am wondering how is it any different than Santa? I had no intentions of doing the Santa tradition in our home and never even talked about it until dd was four when she learned about him at school. So now Santa comes on the 25th but I still keep the focus on Jesus. Last year I bought the elf after lots of should I/ shouldn't I and for us its just been fun to find the elf in different places everyday. We read the book and she knows not to touch it...but it certainly isn't a behavior modification item for us at all.

[Jacksmommy2b]

I completely agree. I *really* don't like the idea of something spying on my kids!

DH had an elf growing up and loved it, so we compromised.

I bought two Christmas colored sock monkeys and they 'hide' somewhere new every night with no correlation to behavior.

eta: J knows we move them and gets a kick out of trying to figure out which one of us moved them that night. I'm also not a fan of Santa but M is like St. Nick himself. Our agreement is that I don't touch the santa thing at all and M promises to not lie if they ask directly.

Which he kept when J asked point blank if santa was real:

J: Is santa real?

M: What do you think?

J: I think reindeer can't fly, but I don't know about Santa. Tell me the truth?

M: (heartbroken) I am your Santa Jack...

*pause*

J: I want a piano for Christmas.

I laughed my rear off. M was all emotional and J was 'Okay, here's my list.'

The big problem has been reminding him to not inform all his classmates!

[infomama]

I think having a stationary elf sitting on my shelf looking at me all day long and is suppose to start moving at night is creepy.
Exactamundo

[sntm]

Yup. Creepy.

[m448]

creep factor and behavior aspect aside I just don't see how wise it is to send kids on a scavenger hunt daily when we're feverishly hiding gifts LOL. But we don't do santa either (we tell the story of St. Nicholas but my kids know the gifts come from momma and daddy).