Advent Thoughts, #9

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Last Christmas I went out to "tea" with some friends.  Background:  they were friends from a former workplace; one is retired and has two cutie granddaughters; the others are grandmothers, too, and only a little older than I am.  So of course I get to hear about grandchildren, which is wonderful, not at all a problem.  However, the retired one brought up the subject of the "Elf on the Shelf."  Apparently this is a stuffed toy that you can move around the house when the child is asleep to make the child believe he/she is being watched and being reported on (ratted on?) to Santa.  My friend's point was that someone  was making a lot of money from that idea.

That's true, but I can't help but find it creepy--like Furby (remember Furby?  I had a nightmarish experience with Furbys one time, but I digress).  Not only creepy, but dishonest.  I can go along with Santa if kept in moderation, but a spying, ratting, moving, sneaky elf?  I don't know what I would have thought about that as a child, as I was a far too impressionable kid.

Christianity Today had an article about the real St. Nicholas that will help at this point.  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/december/better-than-santa.html 

I like what the interviewee says about how to "play" Santa with children. 

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