Hey readers,
What I am going to write in this post may divide opinion but it is only my opinion so don’t get too distressed if you’re a fan of the old Elf on The Shelf. I am not, lol so I am going to tell you why.
If you haven’t heard of Elf of Shelf let me give you a quick explanation about this popular trend at Christmas time. It is an Elf that is sent from Santa to check up on children to see if they are being naughty or nice. It derived from America from a story that was written in 2005.
Parents go out and buy an Elf toy (if you buy the book there is one with it) and every day from the 1st of December right up to Christmas parents will bring old Elf when the kids are in bed and place him around in the home in different locations each day. Another addition to this phenomena some parents even add presents with the Elf to reward the child for being good.
Deceitfulness.
The idea of encouraging children to behave because the Elf is watching them can potentially encourage children to be deceitful and hide their behaviour in order to get rewards.
Pain in the bum.
The thought of having to think of new and creative ways for the Elf is hard work especially in December as it tends to be one of the busiest months of the year. There is the pressure to buy all the products that are attached to Elf on the Shelf and just encourages consumerism. Not to mention the pressure on Social Media to outdo friends or acquaintances with what the elf has been up to.
Creepy.
There is nothing more creepy then knowing an Elf is watching you all the time and is knocking about at your home. Why do we need to make children feel they are being watched I much prefer to give my boys the trust in doing the right thing. Not to mention giving them the feeling that they have the respect of their own privacy without thinking that an Elf is constantly watching them.
Anxiety.
I have seen many fails on Youtube regarding Elf on The Shelf and one of the themes that made me question the whole idea of the Elf is the sheer anxiety and distress that it causes children. Some children have a fear of toys that come alive, especially if they have seen them in movies such as Toy Story.
The Elf can cause some children to be petrified in case they have done something bad and will get punished. Where it could simply be the case that they have done a mistake and that it was not intentional. They may feel paranoid and cause more distress, it may trigger them to be anxious when they really don’t need to be, bearing in my mind that The Elf on The Shelf lasts most of December.
Learn.
It is common knowledge that sometimes the best way to learn is through mistakes, but this stops children learning through making things right when they are simple but on the naughty list. They don’t get that opportunity to learn and grow as a person.
So, there you have it, that is why I hate Elf on The Shelf.
Cheers for reading X
