The creators of Elf on the Shelf know it’s stressful for parents – but they want to help

“The other day she asked if our elf Snowflake would bring her Dunkin Donuts before she got on the school bus at 6:30,” continued Goldblatt, a retail visual design artist. “I would have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to get the donut – that’s too much.”

And she is not alone.

Thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram – where “overachieving” parents tend to brag about the extravagant treats their family’s elf has left for the kids, like a drone or gift cards to Starbucks and Sephora – the “elf on” fad has also taken off the Shelf” was enforced. become a “who did it best” competition for some.

Even Elf on a Shelf’s creators, 50-year-old twins Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, understand why it can be frustrating, but recommend parents keep it simple.

“The people who get it, get it,” Bell, founder and co-CEO of Lumistella Co., maker of the Elf on the Shelf, told The Post. “And the people who don’t — well, not everyone is going to like everything.”

She and Pitts launched the Elf on the Shelf brand, a cute concept originally concocted to great fanfare by her mother, Carol Aebersold, in September 2005. Since its inception, over 28 million Scout Elves, Elf Pets and Elf Mates have been sold worldwide.

“The elf flies back and forth (from home) to the North Pole and hides in a new place every night,” said Bell, a married mother of two from Georgia, adding still affectionately to her now-adult children Taylor and Kendall Remember the joy of waking up to see your elves’ silly stunts – as if they were hiding in your freezer.

“It doesn’t have to be that complicated.”

Ultimately, Pitts and Bell hope to provide rewarding experiences for Elf of the Shelf fans around the world.

“I find it deeply rewarding when others celebrate the tradition with the same magic, wonder and spirit of the season that we did when we were little,” Pitts told The Post. “We enjoy embracing the joy of the season.”

To increase the joy of this holiday and ease the burden on parents, she and Bell have launched two new kits: The Official 24-Day Ultimate Elf Ideas Kit and The Elf Ideas Kit. Super Set” with ready-made backgrounds and props. Little elves can hide here every morning and surprise the children.

“This is a full season of family fun for the 24 days leading up to Christmas at a cost of about $1.25 per day,” Pitts said.

But Bell said the best advice is to “keep the tradition simple — it’s all about what works for your family.”

Manhattan mom Liz Everett said not only did it work for her family, it had become sacred.

“Our elf Elsie is part of our family,” said Everett, 36, a married mother of two teenagers, Ethan, 11, and Harper, 8.

“My favorite thing to hear every morning is, ‘Where’s Elsie?’ “Where’s Elsie?” added the Millennial, a tech recruiter and lifestyle content creator. “The kids are almost at an age where they might lose the magic of Elf on the Shelf, so we’re enjoying every second of it while we still can.”