While millions of children around the world had a holly, jolly Christmas, playing with the gifts they received from Santa Claus, others didn’t experience the same joy.

“The Grinch” broke into their homes and stole all their holiday cheer, making Christmas Day memorable for all the wrong reasons.

A video posted by Katelyn, who goes by @K8Dehm online, shows two children running away from the furry green creature created by Dr. Seuss as he chases them around the house.

A group of parents ruined Christmas for their children by dressing up as The Grinch and scaring them at home

Image credits: k8dehn

The youngest child, who appears to be two or three years old, begins to cry as You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch plays in the background.

The video is part of a growing trend among parents of dressing up as The Grinch to prank their children or other young family members—many of whom don’t find the situation amusing in the slightest.

And neither do social media users, who criticized the parents for scaring their children just to gain a few likes or laughs.

“Why are you doing this to them?” one user asked.

Image credits: k8dehn

“Just think about the psychological consequences before making jokes, children do not know how to differentiate fiction from reality,” another said.

“Were they trying to surprise them or traumatize them for life?” questioned someone else.

“That’s so mean,” added a fourth, while a separate user shared, “As a kid I was so terrified of The Grinch.”

Another user said, “The second kid had the purest form of fear I have ever seen in someone’s face.”

Children, especially younger ones, don’t find the prank as funny as their older relatives do

Image credits: k8dehn

At a different gathering in Chicago, The Grinch surprised a group of children dressed in festive pajamas and green and red outfits. The reactions were as varied as the number of kids in the room: some cried, while others fought the green intruder, throwing pillows at him before he grabbed the Christmas tree and left the room.

In the final frame of the video, posted by @frankiedejoya, the camera captures the aftermath of the prank, showing three young children visibly upset.

@k8dehn #YourAmeanOne #MrGrinch ♬ You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch (A Funny Christmas Song) – Allan Sherman

Another video by @kuleeikim shows The Grinch dressed in his Santa suit stealing presents from nine children. The situation seemed amusing to some of them, but a girl was particularly distraught and burst into tears at the unexpected sight. 

In the video hashtags, @kuleeikim included #GrinchTikTok and #ChristmasPartyGames.

“The Grinch is at it again destroying kids Christmas’s 😭 Someone please stop this! 😂😂” reads the caption of another clip shared by @famousunderdog that shows the cranky character stealing presents from four children, then waving goodbye as he heads out the door.

“Were they trying to surprise them or traumatize them for life?” one critic asked

Image credits: diegolopez21_

Published by children’s author Dr. Seuss in 1957, How The Grinch Stole Christmas follows a solitary creature with a heart “two sizes too small” who steals presents and decorations in an attempt to ruin the festive spirit.

The story, famously adapted into a feature film in 2000 with Jim Carrey starring as the titular character, criticizes the consumerist culture surrounding Christmas and the holiday season.

In 2007, the National Education Association included The Grinch in the Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children.

@diegolopez21_ xoxo the grinch #christmas #canonevent #grinch #trama #fyp ♬ original sound – 𓍼 ׄ ִ . ॱ

To understand the potential impact of The Grinch prank on young children, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Nancy Close, an Associate Professor at the Yale Child Study Center.

“When children are frightened or traumatized, they manage better if their parents are able to understand their reactions and create safety. When the parent becomes the person causing the fear, then the child has no one to go to who can be reassuring,” Dr. Close explained.

“This can cause a break in the trust that a child has in the parent which can negatively impact the parent child relationship.”

Videos of the green intruder stealing presents from children are receiving thousands of views

Image credits: festivexmastok

@festivexmastok the grinch comes to visit #fyp #xmas #snow #snowing #snowman #decor #christmasdecorating #snowing #grinch #thegrinch #prank #christmas ♬ I Am the Grinch (feat. Fletcher Jones) – Tyler, The Creator

@frankiedejoya Grinchmas #grinchtiktok #grinchtok #fyp #christmashorror #christmasgrinch ♬ original sound – FRANCESCA

Young children (ages 0-5), like those pranked by their parents, are still learning to distinguish reality from fantasy.

“This process can sometimes become complicated by the fact there are make-believe characters in our culture that are portrayed as real, such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc,” adds Dr. Close.

“The idea of the Grinch invading their home and not listening to their protests can cause anxiety and interfere with their capacity to distinguish reality and fantasy and at the same time interfere in the development of imagination and creativity in their pretend play.

“It is through pretend play that young children can express their feelings, fears, and resolve conflicts and struggles.”

“The idea of the Grinch invading their home can cause anxiety and interfere with their capacity to distinguish reality and fantasy,” explained Dr. Nancy Close

Image credits: Amazon

The mental health expert suggests that children who were pranked by their parents might engage in pretend play to process the negative experience.

“The main lesson of the Grinch story is the shift he experienced from being heartless, mean and lonely to growing a heart, being kinder, and connected because the people of Whoville included him in their community. 

“It is my hope that this is a lesson parents share with their children rather than playing pranks that are not understood and are frightening.”

The Grinch “prank” sparked mixed reactions online, with some viewers finding it funny and others criticizing the parents

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