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Leanne Shirtliffe

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The Elf on the Shelf…and Hate Mail

Elf on the Shelf and hate mailIf you don’t know what the Elf on the Shelf is, you’re missing out on one of the self-publishing miracles of the decade. At the request of CBC Radio, I weighed in on this toy. Not surprisingly, I situated myself in the Grinch-y corner.

Here’s the link to my five-minute radio spot that I did yesterday in Calgary: The Elf on the Shelf rant.

My interview even engendered some hate mail, both to the station and to me. Some of the people felt sorry for me (and likely my children) since parenting was clearly a hassle for me.

I can assure those people that I also find other things a hassle: getting out of bed, boiling water for tea and forgetting to make a cup, and breathing, especially in cold, wintry weather.

The hate mail makes me smile just a bit. Part of me experiences schadenfreude when people don’t get irony.

I better get that Grinch-y part of me under control, or that Elf on the Shelf that wrapped in plastic in my car in -15 C is going to tell Santa on me.

Your turn:
Any Elf on the Shelf fans out there?
What do you find a hassle?
Have you been naughty?

Filed Under: Hilarious Family Moments, Worst Toy List Tagged With: Christmas, elf on the shelf, funny, humor, parenting, Toys

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paige Roper Norman says

    December 12, 2012 at 8:45 am

    I hate Elf on the Shelf. And Flat Stanley too.

    Reply
  2. Ricky Anderson says

    December 12, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Can I answer your hate mail? Like, on a full-time basis? I think I would excel at this.

    Reply
    • Clay Morgan (@MorganUndead) says

      December 12, 2012 at 9:15 am

      I approve of this Ricky.

      Reply
      • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

        December 12, 2012 at 3:38 pm

        I think you took this on briefly, Clay, at one point if I recall…

        Reply
        • Ricky Anderson says

          December 12, 2012 at 3:52 pm

          I won’t burn out like Clay did, I promise.

          Reply
  3. queenoflight88 says

    December 12, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Reblogged this on Queenoflight88's Blog.

    Reply
  4. Lori dyan says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:11 am

    I have long believed that this little elf is the creepiest f***ing thing I’ve ever seen.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      December 12, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      Because the world needs more creeps… I wonder if that was in the proposal?

      Reply
  5. Dawn Leduc says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:12 am

    I heard a few of your thoughts on Elf on a Shelf this morning on CBC Edmonton. THANK YOU! I think this is a ridiculous waste of time, creepy (love the Orwellian comment) and pure consumerism. It isn’t a new tradition! New traditions are families going sledding, making hot chocolate, decorating the tree in some special way. Traditions don’t require purchasing something and then having to google ideas at 10 pm. I want the Elf on a Shelf to end up passed out in the liquor cabinet and then get fired.
    Enjoying your blog. As the mom of a middle schooler and 9 year old boy/girl twins I think we are kindred spirits (in an inconvenient parenting way).

    Reply
  6. Go Jules Go says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:14 am

    Hate mail – you’ve made it, Leanne! Glad you’re talking it with a grain of snow globe glitter.

    Is mixing vodka with egg nog considered “naughty”? If so, Santa might as well not even bother double-checking his list.

    Reply
  7. about100percent says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:31 am

    Elf on the Shelf, what a hassle. Yet another fad which gives parents agita over having to keep up complicated lies to the kids. I drew the line after the St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun, who steals into the house on St. Patty’s Day and messes it all up, only to find myself responsible for straightening it back up.

    I’m not even Irish.

    Keep the Elf. I’ve got enough trouble keeping Santa alive and well.

    Reply
  8. about100percent says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:34 am

    Elf on the shelf, what a hassle. Yet another fad which gives parents agita about keeping up complicated lies to the kids year after year. I drew the line after the St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun, who steals into the house on St. Patty’s Day and messes it all up, only to find myself responsible for straightening it up again.

    We’re not even Irish.

    Keep the Elf. I’ve got enough problems keeping Santa alive and well.

    Reply
  9. Andi says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:41 am

    We were given an Elf on the Shelf by my mother-in-law. You’re supposed to have your child name it, so we did.

    My son named it “Stumpy.”

    Now I sound like the creepiest mother ever at the department store when my son tells people, “Stumpy is watching me!” Oh, God.

    Reply
  10. hiddinsight says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:41 am

    I have been doing “Elf on a shelf” with a teddy bear (because no one would sponsor me), I mean, because I was too cheap to buy the actual thing.

    It was hit and miss between my kids and my energy level. Sometimes they laughed their heads off, sometimes they thought they could do better. So now thst we are on day 9, the kids have taken over and I’m getting more sleep, so yeah, its totally win-win over here.

    As far as ideas go…that naughty elf was a brat.

    Reply
  11. Colleen Lindenbach says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Congrats on the hate mail Leanne! Any publicity is good publicity! I have a lot of families attending my music studio who have Elf of the Shelf. Most do it as a fun activity and it’s not taken over seriously. I think any activity that brings families together is awesome! One Mom has been posting pictures of where the Elf has been found each day and it’s been great for laughs. Especially the pic of him sitting at the piano with a Barbie posed looking at him and the music book turned to the song “Let’s Get Together “. Apparently Elves have needs too 😉

    Reply
  12. Shawn says

    December 12, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Elf on the Shelf is creepy. I don’t want some little spy in my home, especially one with a sly smirk.

    Hassles…well, there is life. Yeah, that’s about it, life. Covers all the bases nicely.

    Reply
  13. renée a. schuls-jacobson says

    December 12, 2012 at 10:09 am

    So happy to be Jewish this time of year. 🙂

    That elf would be my undoing.

    Reply
  14. julie gardner says

    December 12, 2012 at 10:12 am

    Ha! Yesterday I posted on twitter something along these lines:

    “Whenever I get wistful about having more children, I remind myself that they’d eventually want an Elf on the Shelf…anddd done.”

    Yeah. I’ve never been happier to have teenagers.
    Consider me on team Leanne with this one.

    Reply
  15. Howlin' Mad Heather says

    December 12, 2012 at 10:36 am

    Never leave any sharp objects, including nail clippers, out when the elf is in your house. They will lead to a painful end.

    Reply
  16. Anna says

    December 12, 2012 at 11:36 am

    i feel like hate mail is not in the holiday spirit, right?

    Reply
  17. Marianne says

    December 12, 2012 at 11:56 am

    I have friends whose elf has a name and they create a different scene for him every day. I honestly think they should be doing something more worthwhile. Like making my kids dinner

    Reply
  18. sampsonfamilycircus says

    December 12, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    Our Elf forgets to move around the house, a lot! Okay, so I forget to move the elf! And all those parents who have their elf doing crazy funny stuff, well done. Ours does not, I don’t want to have to clean up after him. 🙂

    Reply
  19. dirtyrottenparenting says

    December 12, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    I wish I were cool enough to get hate mail. The shelf elf is weird and creepy and I don’t want to teach my children that stalking is an acceptable behaviour. For anyone. Even Santa.

    Reply
  20. Liz McLennan says

    December 12, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Here at the House of Leprechauns, we call house elves “Kabouters” and the often get up to no-good, while we sleep. Weirdly, the things that the kabouters do are things that my children do, but have denied.

    I’m pretty sure that those kabouters would stage a revolt if we brought another elf into the house. ESPECIALLY a tattle-taling one…

    Great interview!

    Reply
  21. Annie says

    December 12, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    Thank you for this! The Elf is a bit creepy. Taz would be scared to be left alone in a room with those beady eyes watching him. Plus, I’ve got three advent calendars to manage right now. (Star Wars, a Nativity one, and Playmobile….who needs a shifty looking elf to worry about?) The Elf would send me over the edge.

    Reply
  22. contradictorytendencies says

    December 13, 2012 at 6:32 am

    I just had Elf On The Shelf explained to me yesterday in another blog. I’d always seen him in the book section of Target but never took the time to get close enough to check him out.

    He just had that weird feel to him – like the clown from Poltergeist. Now that I know what purpose this elf serves, I feel even more creeped out and will steer clear.

    Reply
  23. patriciasands says

    December 13, 2012 at 8:49 am

    When I first heard about EOTS I thought it sounded like a possibly cute idea. Then a friend gave one to my daughter. I almost fainted when I saw him – C.R.E.E.P.Y. doesn’t being to describe how he looks to me! My youngest grandchildren, The Adorables (ages 3 and 4), run and tearfully hide when they see him … he’s back in his box. Loved your bit on CBC!

    Reply
  24. Julie Glover says

    December 13, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    We have elves. It’s been a tradition in my town for years, before the book in fact. I thought the book capitalized on the concept. The elves here were just supposed to be fun dolls who moved around the house when kids weren’t looking…so the kid might wake up one day and see him in the bathroom and the next day to see the elf in the kitchen. It was never used as a spy-on-your-behavior tool–that’s just creepy. Didn’t Chucky do that?

    Reply
  25. sassymama23 says

    December 14, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    I won’t lie… I kinda like hate mail. It’s pretty fun sometimes. Great bit. Love your blog! 🙂

    Reply
  26. mrspietrowski says

    December 16, 2012 at 8:50 pm

    whatever happened to finding the gingerbread man? that was the “thing” when I was in school…

    Reply

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