Mum warns parents after Gremlins inspired Elf on the Shelf hack she ‘thought would be funny’ left son ‘shaking & crying’
A MUM issued a warning to other parents after her creative Elf on the Shelf move backfired.
She revealed that she was inspired by the movie Gremlins when setting up the scene for her son, however the young child was left “shaking and crying.”
Posting in the Facebook group Your Elf Ideas, user Bryony Blue shared photos of her failed Elf on the Shelf attempt, gaining 58,000 likes for her efforts.
Offering context on the images, she explained that she was offering “a friendly warning not to do what I did.”
The mum revealed that she was inspired by a classic movie when positioning her son’s elf overnight.
“Having watched Gremlins, I thought it would be funny to put our elf in the blender with a note saying: ‘Help! The Gremlins trapped me!'” she explained.
However, Bryony did not anticipate how drastically wrong the set-up could go.
“In the morning, I awoke to terrified screaming, and ran downstairs to find that my son had accidentally turned on the blender and eviscerated his elf,” she revealed.
“Needless to say he was utterly traumatised, shaking and crying.”
The mum explained that she had to think quickly in an effort to save her son’s Christmas beliefs.
“I went briefly upstairs, panicked, then returned saying I’d just called the Elf Helpline and they said stuff like this happens all the time and not to worry because elves can regenerate,” she said.
“I then spent the next couple of hours driving round looking for the exact same elf.”
Bryony revealed that she eventually found the elf as part of a set.
She then spent another hour making an “Elf Regeneration Unit and nurse uniform.”
“I should add that my son is nine-years-old and kind of knows it’s me, but really wants to believe in the magic,” she explained.
While she managed to play off the incident, she admitted it ended her son’s belief.
“He also seems totally over it now and my whole family have found it utterly hilarious.”
When does Elf on the Shelf begin?
According to the official website your Scout Elf can arrive anytime during the festive period.
Typically he or she will arrive at the start of the celebrations and return to the North Pole with Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Santa sends most of his Scout Elves during “Scout Elf Return Week”, which runs from November 23 to December 1.
The distressed mum shared the lesson she has learned from the incident.
“If you put your elf in the blender, I highly recommend unplugging it, unless you want an amusing anecdote you can retell for years to come about the time your child murdered the elf,” she said.
She jokingly added that the elf is “recovering well” and is “still in full body bandages and taking it easy, but expected make a full recovery.”
Facebook users shared their thoughts on the incident in the comments section.
“‘Accidentally’ sounds like an impulsive thought that won, I’m glad you got it all fixed now! Poor elf,” wrote one reader.
“You are an amazing mum! Gone above and beyond to help your boy keep believing in the magic,” said another commenter.
“I would’ve arranged a funeral and called it a day, perfect excuse to end the shenanigans,” joked a third person.