parents look at the elf on the shelfDepending on who you ask, inviting the Elf on the Shelf into your home this holiday season is either the worst parenting mistake of all time, or the key to Christmas magic. “I have a laundry list of parenting decisions gone wrong but this tops the list.”This is one of the worst parenting decisions I’ve ever made. Ryan Starkweather says buying Elf on the Shelf for his nine-year-old daughter was one of his worst parenting decisions. Kate Campbell recently added another character to her home in the Elf on the Shelf scenario. Hear Ryan Starkweather and Kate Campbell live on London Morning:london morning7:42elf on the shelf smackdown Pro-elf mum Kate Campbell and reluctant-elf dad, Ryan Starkweather join London Morning to debate the case for elf.