The Elf on the Shelf tradition started from a children’s storybook which was published in 2005. The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell was incredibly successful. Today, millions of families take out their elves every year for almost a whole month, from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, to spread the spirit of the upcoming holidays.

If you’re wondering how to start this tradition in your household, it’s quite easy. You buy the doll, customize it according to your preferences, and read the storybook with your children because it has all the information you need to know about your elf.

However, there’s one vital rule that the children need to follow—they cannot touch the elf or it will lose its magic. Plus, the elf only starts to move after the children fall asleep and creates mischief while running around the house, so the parents need to find a new place to hide it every night. If you wish to find out more details about the custom and the whole story, you can find it on their official company website.

As adults, we know that Santa Claus isn’t real, but many of us remember the magic we felt when we thought he existed. Even though it’s generally best for parents to keep the number of lies they tell their kids to a bare minimum, the rules don't apply to the holiday season. Why is it considered good to tell our children the Santa myth?

Melinda Wenner Moyer, the author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren't A-Holes, wrote that stories about Santa and his little helper might actually be good for kids’ cognitive development. "Fantastical stories foster a type of imaginative play that sparks creativity, social understanding and even—strange as it may sound—scientific reasoning."

According to the writer, Santa Claus belongs to the "good lie" category because by the time children find out the truth about him, they can already tell the difference between a good and a bad lie, so they don’t have any hard feelings for the parents.

"What Kris Kringle does do is feed the imagination. Kids picture him managing his elves at the North Pole, soaring through the sky or squeezing through chimneys," Moyer continued. Participating in fantasy play and adopting the role of Rudolph or Mrs. Claus in games "may cultivate a set of skills known as 'theory of mind,' which helps kids predict and understand other people’s behavior."

Yet, while some adults think of fun and creative scenarios for where to place the Elf, others are not so fascinated with the concept. Emma Shingleton, a parenting expert, said that while the kids might behave themselves when the elf is watching, there’s no guarantee that it will continue after Christmas.

Shingleton suggests a nicer alternative, a helpful elf who could support children in making good decisions. "Explain to your children that Santa's elf has been sent to homes to help them in the run-up to Christmas. They love to see children spreading kindness and joy, and then make the journey back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa all the lovely things children have been up to," the expert advised.

After all that, it all comes down to your choice of what to believe. While some parents think that the Elf on the Shelf tradition is really annoying and time-consuming, it can actually be a lot of fun for adults too. Especially when something does not go as expected and you end up with a really messed-up elf and only a few hours left to think of what you're going to tell your children.