Emma’s Diary Feature: We Aren’t Doing Elf On The Shelf Or Christmas Eve Boxes – Here’s Why…

Partnering with Emma’s Diary has helped me reach so many prospective parents, newborn mums and toddler handlers. Working with this platform is one of my proudest writing achievements and I love having the opportunity to tackle controversial subjects. Today’s blog post has already received LOTS of comments and arguments, but it’s a subject I think we need to tackle.

‘Tis the season to be festive… but it’s also the season for a bit of one-upmanship and social media bragging.

When you become a parent, you realise how much Instagram vs Reality is a thing. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have been surrounded by piles of washing with a crying baby only to jump on your phone and scroll your feed that is full of perfectly put together mums and babies, no mess and no crying.

The reality of parenting is more like my own reality.

But, when Christmas rolls around, you can fall back into that trap of feeling like the world has their lives together and you’re just about getting it together.

Christmas Traditions We Won’t Start

Christmas Eve Boxes have become a fun trend in recent years. It’s an excuse to get festive and spoil your little ones before the big day.

Before I had Jack, I loved the idea of it. Now that I’m a mum, the reality is something quite different.

Now I understand just how much money everything costs as well as the attention span of my toddler.

A Christmas Eve Box for Jack would feel like lots of energy and money for a few hours of fun – only to be completely forgotten once the real presents land under the tree the next morning!

Even if I filled a Christmas Eve Box with all of Jack’s favourite things, they’d be quickly overshadowed.

Instead, I’ll be putting together a December Box.

In this box, I will add Christmas pyjamas that he can wear all month, as well as month long craft ideas, festive books and more.

Elf on the Shelf

Right now, I feel like Jack is way too small to even understand what an Elf is – let alone the Elf on the Shelf stuff.

My fellow parents with older children seem to moan about that little Elf the whole time. It’s become an excuse for some to show off on social media and Lord knows we don’t need any more reasons to feel like we aren’t doing enough as parents.

We won’t be doing Elf on the Shelf for as long as I can hold it off. It may be that when Jack starts school that it’s not a thing anymore – here’s hoping! If all of his friends do it, I will reconsider. But I don’t want it to be one more thing to stress about or feel like I’m doing wrong.

Missing Out

I don’t want Jack to miss out – the mum guilt! I know that when he is a little older, his friends will get Christmas Eve Boxes and all kinds of gadgets and things that he won’t have.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON THE EMMA’S DIARY BLOG HERE

Are you doing Elf on the Shelf?

What do you think about Christmas Eve Boxes?

LoveRosiee
xxx

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People Also Ask…

Can you do Elf on the Shelf with a 2 year old?

Children from a very young age (2+) can learn the Christmas Elf tradition and it becomes part of the excitement of Christmas. My daughter Holly, at just two years old, LOVED the fun and magic of her Elf toy, she understood that Elf was checking to make sure she was being good, but that Elf could be mischievous too.

Is there baby Elf on the Shelf?

Elf babies aren’t an official toy from the Elf on the Shelf store, though many are dressed in the red outfits that match the signature elf.

At what age should you start Elf on the Shelf?

It really depends on your family, but a child is ready for The Elf on the Shelf as soon as he or she understands Christmas traditions. Typically, 3 years old is a good time to start.

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