Someone really needs to convince me that the stupid Elf on the Shelf thing is not just pure bribery. Shouldn’t we teach and then expect that our children know how to behave? Because that is the right thing to do, not because some creepy elf is watching and they will get something in return?

When did we as parents, and mothers in particular, start thinking so little of our children that we decided we needed to start bribing them? When did we start thinking so little of our own parenting abilities that we stopped trusting ourselves to teach, address, and correct our children’s behavior?

I don’t get it.