Have you been naughty or nice this year? If you’ve been listening too much to the little red guy on your shoulder, then you better hope that the elf wasn’t watching you.

“Who?”, you ask.

On the radio this morning a local talk show mentioned this stuffed elf doll conveniently named Elf on the Shelf. The idea, in all it’s simplicity is to leave the elf…on the shelf.

“Why?”, you ask.

To scare of course! Tell your child the elf reports directly to Santa. So if he sees you doing anything bad, Santa will know. That means no more red tricycle, no more Barbie doll, no more Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time. All because the elf Judased you. Simple right? Is this an innovative idea? Or just the start of your kid’s psychotherapy?

You can further increase its effectiveness by taking the elf away at night. Why? Because he’s gone to the North pole to talk to Santa. That’s realism 101.

All in all, It sound like a good idea to me, but I’m not sure the execution is spot on. I think the doll is not the correct elf to use. I have a feeling it has those types of eyes that no matter where you stand, it always seems to be looking at you. I don’t want to checking on my boy at night and he’s in the corner of the room rocking back and forth.