27 Surprising Things You Don't Know About the Elf on the Shelf, Straight From the Creator

Just like adults and older kids need to be careful about how they discuss Santa Claus in front of children, people need to be just as cautious when talking about the Elf on the Shelf. For many kids who have one, they believe just as fiercely in their elf friend as they do in Mr. Claus and one slip-up could ruin it for them. "It's so important to try and preserve the magic for children. And we need to remember kids see their elf exactly the same way [as Santa]. It is a real elf from the North Pole," Chanda said. "Every bit of this is as real as Santa Claus. I think anything we can do to help keep the magic alive is important."