How Elf On A Shelf Ruined Our Christmas - Blog Post

[nannyde]

I don't think the creators of Elf on the Shelf thought that part of the deal would be a parent having to tell the child NO at some point. ::::::

[Meeko]

And then I find a parent on the complete other sideof the spectrum. And my faith in humanity is restored ... Well, I have hope at least.

Why My Kids Are Not The Center Of My World

AWESOME! I want to nail it to the forehead of soooooo many parents!!!!

[MarinaVanessa]

AWESOME! I want to nail it to the forehead of soooooo many parents!!!!

:: Yeah, tell me about it. Sadly, right now all of my clients are good and consistent with their children and instill boundaries. It's some of my friends, family members and acquaintances that have a problem with this.

[Scout]

Last night I forgot about our elf! DS woke up this morning and said "Mom, the elf didn't move!"....fast thinking, I told him he must have been stuck since his last spot was the Christmas tree! Phew!

[Lil'DinoEggs]

The kids walk through the door so excited every morning and look to see where he is hiding today. Then they can't wait to point him out to their parents at pick up.

I don't do EOTS, but your idea can turn into a really fun year long game. I think I will have a new mascot like a doll or a stuffed animal and hide him every day or once a week or something and the kids can try and find him. Oh my, and it may help some of the kids transitioning. OOOO I have planning to do.

[DaisyMamma]

Just the title made me angry-how elf on the shelf "ruined Christmas". The parents themselves really have NO idea of what a "ruined Christmas" truly is. Their child crying over a toy is such a trivial thing when there are people that are truly having serious problems and don't even whine about their Christmas being "ruined".

I just (this morning)attended the funeral of a 35 yo dear young man that died suddenly last week so forgive me if I sound a bit angry about that dad's whining. My dear friend Noah's family has a right to say Christmas is ruined for them-but they wont.

:hug:

[DaisyMamma]

Last night I forgot about our elf! DS woke up this morning and said "Mom, the elf didn't move!"....fast thinking, I told him he must have been stuck since his last spot was the Christmas tree! Phew!

I just blow it off and say wow I guess she likes that spot. Or, she doesn't always move. You can't remember every time.

[Unregistered]

confused

They're are alot of negative responses here in this topic. .. calling kids BRATS AND ENTITLED BRATS. Just very surprising for letting daycare providers. . If a family chooses to bring additional"magic" into their home and create more of a magical atmosphere, . Why do you feel the need to down them?
As fat add doing charitable events, I feel is hypocritical to help another child believe in santa and deny your own children that same belief. Children should believe in magic and fairies and we shrug make believe, there is plenty of time for the real world and hard lessons that they WILL encounter IN due time. . Let children be children. . They grow up way to fast already!

[Unregistered]

confused

Sorry. .I am not very good at this texting. .
Letting should of been loving and I'm sure* they're are many more typos. .
I am sorry

[daycarediva]

They're are alot of negative responses here in this topic. .. calling kids BRATS AND ENTITLED BRATS. Just very surprising for letting daycare providers. . If a family chooses to bring additional"magic" into their home and create more of a magical atmosphere, . Why do you feel the need to down them?
As fat add doing charitable events, I feel is hypocritical to help another child believe in santa and deny your own children that same belief. Children should believe in magic and fairies and we shrug make believe, there is plenty of time for the real world and hard lessons that they WILL encounter IN due time. . Let children be children. . They grow up way to fast already!

1. It was my niece I called a brat. It's a cumulative amount of reasons why. She is entitled, she cares nothing for what others have, want or don't have. She is 10. No longer believes in Santa or plays pretend. Because her parents have catered to this type of behavior, she has never learned to be part of the real world.

Having done daycare for years and raising my own children I have come to learn that it takes time for children to learn lessons like these, they need to be taught them. It takes the entirety of their childhood to teach them to handle minor/mild disappointments (because small disappointments like not getting a ****er at the bank EVERY time ARE life lessons. I believe we should not rush in to 'save' children from feeling bad. It allows them to handle larger disappointments later on. Everything was always fixed for my niece. She was never allowed to feel sad, or cry. Therefor, she cannot handle ANYTHING without her parents swooping in to 'fix' it. A boy didn't like her at school and her Mom wanted to call his mother. It's a HUGE issue now. They don't just magically learn these lessons themselves.

And....even though I am a daycare provider (and a great one who loves my kids!) some are brats. It's REALITY. It's because parents make them that way, but it's true.

[Unregistered]

confused

I sincerely apologize.. And I am SURE you are a loving daycare provider! I used your words but it wasn't directed to you per say,
However I truly see how one could think that and again I am sorry

[Play Care]

1. It was my niece I called a brat. It's a cumulative amount of reasons why. She is entitled, she cares nothing for what others have, want or don't have. She is 10. No longer believes in Santa or plays pretend. Because her parents have catered to this type of behavior, she has never learned to be part of the real world.

Having done daycare for years and raising my own children I have come to learn that it takes time for children to learn lessons like these, they need to be taught them. It takes the entirety of their childhood to teach them to handle minor/mild disappointments (because small disappointments like not getting a ****er at the bank EVERY time ARE life lessons. I believe we should not rush in to 'save' children from feeling bad. It allows them to handle larger disappointments later on. Everything was always fixed for my niece. She was never allowed to feel sad, or cry. Therefor, she cannot handle ANYTHING without her parents swooping in to 'fix' it. A boy didn't like her at school and her Mom wanted to call his mother. It's a HUGE issue now. They don't just magically learn these lessons themselves.

And....even though I am a daycare provider (and a great one who loves my kids!) some are brats. It's REALITY. It's because parents make them that way, but it's true.

happyfacehappyfacehappyface

[Familycare71]

They're are alot of negative responses here in this topic. .. calling kids BRATS AND ENTITLED BRATS. Just very surprising for letting daycare providers. . If a family chooses to bring additional"magic" into their home and create more of a magical atmosphere, . Why do you feel the need to down them?
As fat add doing charitable events, I feel is hypocritical to help another child believe in santa and deny your own children that same belief. Children should believe in magic and fairies and we shrug make believe, there is plenty of time for the real world and hard lessons that they WILL encounter IN due time. . Let children be children. . They grow up way to fast already!

You forgot to add: in your opinion!! . Everyone is entitled to theirs-

[MarinaVanessa]

They're are alot of negative responses here in this topic. .. calling kids BRATS AND ENTITLED BRATS. Just very surprising for letting daycare providers. . If a family chooses to bring additional"magic" into their home and create more of a magical atmosphere, . Why do you feel the need to down them?
As fat add doing charitable events, I feel is hypocritical to help another child believe in santa and deny your own children that same belief. Children should believe in magic and fairies and we shrug make believe, there. is plenty of time for the real world and hard lessons that they WILL encounter IN due time. . Let children be children. . They grow up way to fast already!

This was my original thread and even I do elf on a shelf. The point of this thread was because a PARENT blamed the elf, an inanimate object, of ruining their Christmas. My point was that parents need to help their children cope with their emotions vs creating an easy fix or making the child feel worse by admitting that the elf was not real. The girl in the post already had a hard time with saying goodbye to her elf which to me indicates the possibility that the child is in need of emotional connections, she atached to her elf so much in a month. Instead of the parents dealing with this issue their response was to her that her friend wasn't real and let her elf all year long. That's giving in which does the child a disservice because she needs to learn how to cope with her emotional feelings properly. I don't think she learned anything at all.

[Unregistered]

Sorry. VERY NEW HERE... yes... Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I should of added IMO...