The Elf on the Shelf-A Non-Parent's Review--By Julie

I think I first saw the phenomenon of the Elf on the Shelf about 3 years ago. I might have heard of people doing it before then, but that was when I noticed the marketing behind the whole thing through TV ads. I'll put it bluntly: I don't get it.

When I first researched the whole thing, the only thing I could find was that this elf was supposed to be used as "Santa's Spy" so that kids would be good during the holiday season. The amount of craziness that statement packs is beyond me. Since that time, I can only see that the Elf has become this personality that apparently gets into mischief at night. Or, this is what my Facebook feed leads me to believe. Pictures abound of their family's Elf latest situation.

I still don't get it.

I was born with a very logical brain and outlook on life. Even as a child, there were a lot of things about Santa that just didn't add up to me. You may find this sad, but I never really believed in him. My parents weren't the kind to push Santa (they are good conservative Baptists). They never said anything bad about him. He just wasn't a big deal in our house. So anyone telling me that this one man delivered gifts to the whole world in one night with some flying reindeer was looked at sideways. I distinctly remember being a kindergartener and being told by my teacher one day that we were going to write our "letters to Santa". This did not compute for me. Why? What was I supposed to say? Oh, we are supposed to ask for something for Christmas. ...... Why? So, in one of the only times I ever cheated on an assignment, I copied the boy next to me. He was asking for a bike. Seemed like a good enough thing to write to Santa about.

I never thought about that letter again until I was old enough to appreciate the whole Santa conspiracy. Back in kindergarten, our sneaky teacher gave those letters to our parents. I started to piece the puzzle together. That was the year that I got a scooter for Christmas. It seems that my parents thought I was too young for a bike. Especially considering that I was bound to inherit my older sister's bike eventually. Why buy another one? So, I got a scooter. And, I was thrilled and it had nothing to do with Santa.

Flash forward to my adult years and imagine me finding out that the Elf on the Shelf is the Christmas tradition that we must all subscribe to (said in my best television-marketing voice). I think my first reaction was something of disgust. I couldn't believe that parents were buying into some toy manufacturer's marketing that they must now tell more holiday lies to their children to con them into good behavior. The ridiculousness of it all! I saw it in action just once when I was around my nieces over the holidays. Their mom kept talking about their Elf and what he would tell Santa. The amount of eye rolling from me was criminal, I'm sure.

But, as most things do, the Elf has evolved. It seems that we are all sinful! The elf, once Santa's tattletale, is now finding himself in a few sticky situations. Apparently he is getting bored watching the kids have fun. So, now, it is up to parents to create mischief scenes with their Elf for their kids to find every morning during the holidays.

This isn't so bad on the surface. I like being irreverent and silly. And, as a child, that's super fun. But, now comes the feelings of inadequacy that I only imagine is constant in any parent's life. It appears that now you must strive to be the most creative parent with these scenes. Who can out "Elf" their friends and post the photo evidence on Facebook? And, to help you along and stress you out further, there are plenty of Pinterest tips for creating these Elf scenes. I'm a little over it.

The only thing that keeps me from writing off the entire Elf situation is when I see the truly funny scenes. It usually comes from folks that have boys who may be a little bit older. Or, possibly from people with zero kids and like making inappropriate settings with their Elf. Do a quick Google search for inappropriate Elf on the Shelf. Eye opening, to say the least.

I, myself, am looking forward to a completely adult holiday season. One without Elves on Shelves. It works for me... or it will until I have kids and I will guilt-trip myself into doing these things just so my child isn't the one who doesn't have what their friends have. Oh the vicious cycle...

A Merry Christmas to all my Weekend Fatties!
- Julie Bunkley will be spending her holiday with her grown siblings and parents and no children. The only elves in her holiday will be her dogs who have the cutest elf hats to coordinate with their Christmas collars.

I appreciate Julie's perspective on this, and tend to agree and fall somewhere on the "I don't get it/I don't agree with it" perspective when it comes to the Elf. Another one of our bloggers, Romelle, wrote a blog on this last year that I want to share with you all. So here's the link to get her perspective. Romelle has 6 kids, so her take is slightly different than Julie's. If you have an opinion on this, feel free to weigh in through comments, or if you want to write a post, send it to catidwell222@gmail.com. Now, here's that link to Romelle's blog!

--Amber