Mum cleverly 'retires' her kids' Elf on the Shelf with a letter from Santa

The Elf on the Shelf has become a fully-fledged Christmas phenomenon in recent years.

Social media is full of creative efforts to position Santa’s ‘scout elf’ around the house each day in the lead-up to Christmas, and even celebrity parents are jumping on board.

But if the idea of having to come up with three weeks’ worth of hiding places for a plastic toy - on top of everything else that needs to be done before Christmas - is a stressful one, you’re not alone.

LISTEN: If you're feeling anxious about the Christmas season, here are some tips that might help.

Speaking to People magazine, the mum said her daughters were “thrilled” that their Christmas visitor had decided to join the family.

“He definitely got the royal treatment today, including his very own bed and about 52 bedtime stories,” Heins said.

That’s a win-win-win situation if we’ve ever heard one.