article: Elf on Shelf preparing children for police state

[lizard1131]

I'm just trying to prepare my kids for life in corporate America!!!!

[gretchenindisguise]

I think a hell of a lot of people do it for fun and not for surveillance purposes.

andplusalso - Santa has always known.

"You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He's making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're a wake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake"

[nursewife]

I'm just trying to use bribery for fewer bedtime shenanigans.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

If that's the case, we've all been doing it since we were kids. "You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout....he sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake."

Give me a fucking break.

[NewGirlNic]

I might throw in a "Twinkle is watching" here and there. But, that is not the main reason for our elf. I just love how excited my son gets to find him in the morning and the memories we've created. That magic of Christmas doesn't last long, so I embrace it. As much as I dislike the damn elf and was dead set against it. The absolute best part is that he jumped out of bed this morning because he wanted to find Twinkle. Usually I have to spend a good 15 minutes of my morning coaxing him out of bed. 

[litebright]

This is timely, as we got out our elf for the first time last night. We've never done EOTS before. His name is Christopher, lol.

God, the book is horribly written and rhymed. Just terrible.

So since you're not supposed to touch him, I didn't take him out of the package while the girls were awake last night, just set the box up where the girls could see, and then this morning the box was open and he was hanging on the mantle garland.

I set the whole thing up myself and I didn't expect to find it creepy, but I kind of do. I mean, I'm basically telling my kids that there is a strange creature wandering the house, going in and out as it pleases, an inanimate object changing positions -- it's all very horror-movie-doll but dressed up as nah, this is holiday fun, kiddies!

I know the elf is supposed to be vintage and droll, but I feel like it looks a bit blank and possibly feral.

[lilafowler]

Lol. We just pose our elves (yes, we have two, that were both gifts) in funny spots. Sometimes I leave little notes from them telling Ellie what a sweet kid she is. We don't do the "THEYLL TELL SANTA YOU SUCK" thing.

[lilafowler]

She thinks they're magic and I try not to shit on magic.

[gretchenindisguise]

And parents get to make the rule. Like the whole "you can't touch the elf" rule. In our house parents are allowed to touch the elf. Magic saved.

[lissaholly]

If it means that my girls will think twice about what they put on social media (or what they give others the opportunity to put out there), then I will buy an elf today.  Someone is always watching future teenage girls!


I think there is something very true about a physical presence.  It looks fun, but my type A rule follower would beat herself up at night for the yelling she did at her sister that day.