Parents: Do you have an "elf-on-the-shelf"? Why or why not?

Do not. Strikes me as dumb. I'd end up hiding the elf in the toilet tank, under the garbage bag, or under the oven.

we heard about it from my cousin, we didn't want to spend so much money on it so we use an elf ornament that we already had that looks very much like the elf on the shelf. It is fun, it helps get into the christmas Spirit and the kids like looking for it and my husband enjoys moving it.

We don't have an elf on the shelf. The Santa story is fun and cute, but I don't want to overemphasize it and run wild with every marketing campaign that comes with it.

We feel like we do enough to make Christmas an enjoyable and happy time for our children, we share stories, games and traditions, and not all of them are centered around Santa and presents, which is ultimately what the elf is about.

The elf on the shelf feels like a creepy overkill for a season that is already cluttered with gimmicks and cute but unnecessary stuff. We prefer to keep things as simple as possible and make Christmas a relaxed, junk-free experience.

I don't. The whole "Santa" thing creeps me out anyway (an obese stranger breaks into your house while you are sleeping, after having watched you the whole year, and eats your food? Somebody call the police!), and Elf on the Shelf only makes it worse. Another creeper in your house watching you? No thanks.

My 4 year old doesn't believe in Santa anyway. I kept up the charade for a while (my husband said I was "ruining her childhood", but then again, he was raised with Santa, I was raised to know that my gifts came from my family. Personally, I like getting gifts from my family better then from a stranger), but she figured it out on her own. As she says "It just doesn't make any sense" and since she doesn't believe in magic either (again, because "it just doesn't make sense") that lie was not available to us.

That and she behaves because I tell her to, not because she thinks "Santa is watching". That means she behaves all year, not just in December.

No. The elf creeps me out and my kids do not believe in Santa or elves.

I don't have one, I only heard of them this year but I might get one next year when my daughter will be able to understand the concept a bit better.

Yes, Yes we do. Why, why you ask, because my wife wanted one so she got it. Personally, I think he's a creepy little dude, moving around the house when everyone is asleep, getting into presents and mischief, eating my chocolate, and forcing me to make comments about what the hell he's up to.

No. Because i don't know where they are sold. Sounds like a good idea to me- anything to limit the amount of nagging i must do.

No way. She is firm when she says that tiny pointy creatures that stalk her in the middle of the night are just creepy. I really can't argue with that logic.

Yes, my kids love it. They look for him every morning when they get up.