Some parents take the Elf on the Shelf way too far

Parents — unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re familiar with the Elf on the Shelf.

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It all started with a children’s book written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. According to Fortune:

It’s the tale of a scout elf who reports children’s behavior to Santa every night, then flies back to their homes in the morning; it’s a bit of hide-and-seek with the elf. [Aebersold and Bell] then recruited Bell’s twin Christa Pitts to quit her job as a QVC host and launch their publishing company, Creatively Classic Activities and Books… After researching the best toy manufacturers, Aebersold claims, “We found Santa, who brought us the elves.” Pitts laughs, verifying that elves all come from the North Pole. (They don’t really. They’re manufactured overseas.)

I’ll admit that it’s a cute concept, but some parents take it way too far.

RELATED: From nice to naughty, 25 Elf on the Shelf ideas for the 25 days of Christmas

Every day, these crazy, hardcore parents put their elves in different situations. Pinterest and Instagram are hotbeds of Elf on the Shelf ideas, from having the elf make snow angels in spilled flour, to having him fish for marshmallows in the toilet.

People! The name of the product tells you where to hide it! It goes on a shelf! (Tyson, who’s playing the part of my elf, sits on the counter, because he doesn’t fit on any shelf. Sorry, buddy.)

And there’s no reason to make a mess!

I mean, who feels the need to build a little door just for the elf in their home? Why would you ever do that?

Are kids even requesting this? Or is this strictly for the parents?

And what happens when your kid gets old and/or smart enough to realize that their elf toy isn’t reporting back to Santa at the North Pole every night? What a nightmare. That’ll lead to a lifetime of trust issues.

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