'Total madness': The Christmas tradition Deb Knight wants to see 'disappear altogether'

"It's the most wonderful time of the year" according to the popular Christmas song that's belted out, along with the Mariah Carey classic, to frazzled festive crowds trying to tick off their to-do lists at shopping centres around the country.

The letters to Santa have been amped up by Powerpoint presentations detailing the most desired items from hopeful tweens.

The countdown for online present buyers is not to Christmas Day itself, but to the cutoff for parcel deliveries.

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Will the ease of a gift purchased by a click on the computer end up in a disappointed post-25th arrival? That panic for those keen to avoid the real-life shopping bedlam is real!

There's so much that IS wonderful about Christmas: the family get-togethers, the wonderful festive feast, the lazy Boxing Day vibe watching the cricket and eating all the leftovers – January is the month of ham sandwiches.

But there is a more recent Christmas tradition I would be glad to see disappear altogether: The dreaded Elf on the Shelf.

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Whoever came up with the idea must have had a lot of time on their hands, and likely no children. The idea of introducing an extra layer of responsibility to the already frantic pre-Christmas period is total madness.

It's busy enough bringing the working year to a close, attending all the parties, winding up the school year, buying all the presents, decorating the tree, planning the Christmas meal and organising the school holiday activities.

Who has any time to coordinate a naughty-looking elf into various poses and positions around the house every night for the entire month of December?

It can't just be moved from one bench to another, either – kids demand creativity and mischievousness, just like the elf itself.

The little fella apparently flies to the North Pole each night to report directly to Santa if children have been behaving, and then flies back and hides in a new spot for the kids to find the next morning.

All after getting up to some mischief himself – so there's some real thought that has to go into this whole palavar.

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Whatever happened to Santa just knowing if you were naughty or nice? Even though it is a little bit creepy that he sees you when you're sleeping and when you're awake.

The extra layer of pain involves a ban on children touching said elf.

If they break the rules, you're then meant to find and set some cinnamon (!) next to the elf overnight to revive his magical powers. Simple!

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I've fiercely resisted an elf on a shelf at our place, pointing to the prospect of him possibly coming next year, hoping upon hope that the novelty will by then wear off.

It may be a little Grinchy – that I'll accept. But Christmas is busy enough, and wonderful enough, without a little elf joining the fray.

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