Elf help!

[smurfette]

Hi guys

Little help please! Middle dd aged 11 who has shown no signs of not believing says one of her friends has an elf and she wishes she has one

So I have gone and got one and not put it out yet cos I am having doubts

Younger dd is 9 and a total believer , so no problem there

Oldest dd is 13 and has kept schtum! Don't know if she thinks she won't get if she says she doesn't believe but I have tried to bring up topic
And she refuses to engage!

I am worried about middle dd though, if I put up elf well and good,
But if he does antics every night and say she chats about it at school is she more likely to be told that the whole thing is a farce (Santa and all!)

Or is she gonna be unconvinced and will it make her have doubts .. Will it be a step too far at the wrong time ifswim?!

Just wondering if I should skip it altogether but would like to do it for youngest dd .. Have thought about not putting much of a note and just moving him without saying he is magic and if questioned just tell them we are doing it but is that pointless?! Advice please not sure if I am overthinking it!

He is late now anyway so another night won't make a difference !

[AliceK]

My D's is 10 and others have told him that Santa etc isn't real. I don't know whether or not he still believes but when he tells me what others have said I just tell him that I think he is but some don't but I don't want to take the chance of not believing but it's up to him. We have a very similar thing to the elf but ours is a reindeer called Gerald. He hasn't `arrived` yet and my ds told me tonight that he wishes Gerald was here so he must still believe in that. If I were you I would put your elf out. Christmas is all about magic and even if children have some doubts they will still get excited about the magic.

xxxx

[loocyloo]

I don't know if my children (12 & 9) believe or not! I've never asked and they've never said.
We don't do an elf but I've said that the LOs believe and that if they decide they don't want to play that's fine but keep it to themselves ...
However ... If not playing then they don't need to put a stocking out on christmas eve!

[natlou82]

I agree with Alice, children love the fun and magic of Christmas and that's what the Elf represents. I'm very jealous as I really want one lol :-). When I was that age I actually didn't believe but pretended I did for one last year and I think a lot of children probably put doubts to the back of their minds because they really want to keep believing. I think that anything we can do to keep the magic for as long as possible is worth it :-D so get that cheeky elf into some mischief ready for morning lol ;-)

[smurfette]

Aw thanks guys I will then!!! Can't wait now .. Thank you so much knew you would be able to help!

[natlou82]

Did the children love it?

[smurfette]

Popping him out tonight! Have done a Letter and brought a colour cartridge especially! He is a really nice one just a soft toy rather than the others which I think looks creepy!

[natlou82]

How lovely, I'm definitely going to get one for next year :-D enjoy x

[smurfette]

Think someone found the elf! The box is open and I think I closed it.., now what?!

[natlou82]

Eek I don't know, you need to play detective. Could it not form part of the story? He arrived inside a parcel to surprise you?

[smurfette]

Ya I have boo booed on this one..not only was my youngest in my room rooting around last night I think it may have been seen the day before .. She can't find her advent calender so I sent her to take the choc from mine .. Good mommy yes.. Clever mommy .. Er no😁😔.. Was beside the open package elf came in

Dh says they are too old to believe it is a real elf turned into a teddy by magic.. Yes Indeedy.. So maybe I should just give him as a decoration and move him for the fun anyway but they will know it was us :( could kick myself

[natlou82]

Oh what a shame :-( still move him round, challenge yourself to put him in really funny positions which will make them all laugh when they find him each day x what about your mindees can you still do the full elf story with them?

[smurfette]

Oh what a shame :-( still move him round, challenge yourself to put him in really funny positions which will make them all laugh when they find him each day x what about your mindees can you still do the full elf story with them?
Yeah maybe I can do it for them.. Even worse mummy now.. The youngest refused to say she has been rooting and kept lying and I got mad
Cos she was lying to me (in car on school run) so that started the morning off well.. Sigh
(I knew she had as it was in one of those teddy bear boxes with the handles which I had closed and was open)

Well on the plus side I am glad I realised she had seen it and didn't follow through with the letter from Santa .. Phew lucky escape! I am not really sure what her friend has told her about their elf but I think I may say that some parents pretend it's from Santa and move him around for fun?!

[bunyip]

I quite fancy doing an Elf on the Shelf with one of those little plastic GI Joe Armalite rifles slung on his shoulder.


They won't dare be naughty in front of Santa's Little Sniper. :rolleyes:

[smurfette]

[QUOTE="bunyip;1385435"]I quite fancy doing an Elf on the Shelf with one of those little plastic GI Joe Armalite rifles slung on his shoulder. They won't dare be naughty in front of Santa's Little Sniper. :rolleyes:[/QUOT

Inspired bunyip!

[smurfette]

So I have to report back on progress lol!!

Decided to give the girls elf anyway ..
Youngest saying she hadn't seen it it was another part of my bedroom she had a root in., beginning to doubt myself but anyways tore up Santa letter (in case found lol!) and said to middle daughter it's for all of you but mostly you cos I know you wanted one.. She is thrilled ..
Is he one of those mischievous elves?! I say don't know will have to wait and see! Had my Friends over that night and all I can say is that elf is very very bad lol! He was very naughty with barbie and Dora and then I get the flour out to make snow Angels for him and my friends get out a €50 note and take a pic.. You can imagine!

Girls get to delighted what a naughty elf what a mess but how funny! Spend the entire (and I mean entire!) day playing with Elfie (didn't do the whole don't touch him just said what I said above and played rest by ear! ) made him a bed made presents for him, wrote him a door sign, letters to him etc. Hours of fun! So then he spent several nights in my middle daughters bed cos he is cuddly, and I said to her last night where is the elf (couldn't find him night before to make mischief!) she said I took him to bed so he wouldn't be naughty! I might leave him out at the weekend and see what he does. Then she comes back downstairs and leaves him in hallway
Elfie made snowflakes out of cotton buds, she was highly entertained .. He even wrote ha ha! And had some behind his ear and in his belt. She was upset because dad cleaned it up before I got up but she took a pic,, this is the 11 year old now! Totally either believing it or having fun anyway.. So thank you to people who suggested do it anyway it's brill! I am so pleased I did! Only thing is if they come from Santa they go back to North Pole on Christmas Eve don't they and we never said he was from Santa.. So will they want him all year round and if so, he can't do mischief every day all year can he?!!!

[smurfette]

Grateful to you all for letting me rant and helping me come up with a plan thank you!!

[AliceK]

Our Gerald goes back with Santa when he comes on Christmas Eve. The first year this happened my poor children were distraught on Christmas morning :blush:, I felt really bad but now they know he comes back every year they are fine about it.

xxx

[shortstuff]

Cpuld santa leave a new soft toy in his place? X

[smurfette]

So dd not impressed with Elfie
This am.. He finished the tub of celebrations and had choc on his mouth! I teased her and said she wouldn't miss him when he went back then 'what!?!' .. So I told Her they usually went back to North Pole.. But come back next year. Oh! Ok!

[smurfette]

Lol just an update .. Elfie is staying! He made such a hit, my 11 year old has got super attached and had Taken lots of photos and taken him everywhere .. She got so upset at losing him that Santa wrote her a letter and said he could stay since he is only a baby and isn't much help at the North Pole yet! She is thrilled lol, what a turn around!

[smurfette]

[QUOTE="smurfette;1387592"]Lol just an update .. Elfie is staying! He made such a hit, my 11 year old has got super attached and had Taken lots of photos and taken him everywhere .. She got so upset at losing him that Santa wrote her a letter and said he could stay since he is only a baby and isn't much help at the North Pole yet! She is thrilled lol, what a turn around![/QUOTE
Oh Santa said he won't be magic Til dec so no mischief

[bunyip]

Anyone know if Lidl are still selling reindeer steaks?

I want to really drive home the message that Christmas is gone and done with. :D

[smurfette]

[QUOTE="bunyip;1387620"]Anyone know if Lidl are still selling reindeer steaks? I want to really drive home the message that Christmas is gone and done with. :D[/QUOTE
Naughty bunyip !!