This Mom's Hysterical Text to Santa Claus Is the Ultimate Parenting Power Play

Santa Claus can be a powerful tool for parents during the Winter months: one subtle reminder that he sees naughty behavior can be enough to stop meltdowns in their tracks.

But instead of threatening to call Santa Claus with a bad report or letting him see for himself, one mom came up with something better. Kristin Hensely shared her epic trick on Facebook and explained why it was so successful: she simply changed her sister's name in her phone to Santa Claus and then sends a voice-to-text message (so her kids can both hear and read) to the North Pole whenever they are acting up.

The mother of two first came up with this simple yet effective plan when 5-year-old Finn and 3-year-old Eleanor were misbehaving during bath time. After swapping the number, she asked Siri to send a message to Santa that said, "Eleanor is not being very friendly and is screaming in the bathtub please take note and remove any necessary toys you feel is appropriate for her actions."

Kristin told The Huffington Post that her sister played along and responded, "Please tell Eleanor and Finn that I will give them a second chance. They should be nice and listen to mommy."

After seeing that it was "highly effective," the clever mom shared the idea online to inspire other parents because she knows that moms can use all of the help that they can get this time of year. "Santa is the single greatest piece of leverage parents have all year round," Kristin told The Huffington Post. "Some might argue this is manipulation. They are correct."