A number of moms are fed up with that snooping, snitching elf.

The trouble started innocently enough in 2005 when Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell self-published the book "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition." It included a box with a small elf inside. In the homes that let him in, the elf would report back to Santa every night and get into new scenes of mischief every day.

That box unleashed weeks of misery for overworked parents: Already stressed out during the holidays, they were now saddled with coming up with daily set decorations for the elf. Even just remembering to move him to a new location after the kids went to bed added another thing to a long to-do list.

Children swapped tales of elf antics on the playground. Enter Pinterest and Instagram to up the ante. The elves were courting a backlash.

How to reject the elf game has become a hot topic in parenting groups and chats. A recent post asked for advice on responding to a young child's questions about the elf, and the responses revealed parents' creativity and common sense. Highlights:

-- We didn't sign up for/subscribe to the elf service.

-- Santa is short-staffed (get it?), so there's a waitlist.

-- An elf watching our every move is creepy.

-- Those elves are for kids who need extra reminders to be good.

-- We told Santa "no thanks" because we can't deal with the messes.

-- Every family celebrates the holidays differently. This isn't one of our family traditions.

-- Our elf is invisible.

-- All family members, including pets, must agree that our house is safe for an elf. Our dog can't promise elf safety.

-- We don't need one. I have a direct line to Santa.

-- An elf didn't come with this house.

But the prize for ingenuity goes to Amy Kiefer, 34, a Missouri event planner and real estate agent with three young children. When her daughter was in kindergarten, she heard stories about the elf from classmates and asked her mom why they didn't have one.

Kiefer also had a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old at the time.

"I was not new to the concept. I knew I did not have the time or the attention to give an elf, to make it what her expectations would be," Kiefer said. She put off her daughter's questions with a noncommittal, "We'll see what happens."

She started searching online for alternatives. That's when she stumbled across the idea of a gnome: a mythical creature that could just hang around without requiring any additional work.

She found what she was looking for in the clearance bins at Target. She picked up one larger gnome and a three-pack of mini-gnomes. They showed up in the Kiefer home, along with a note explaining that "Gnomie and his homies" would camp out in the family's bedrooms, keep an eye out for Santa and bring holiday magic. The only rule was that they couldn't be touched or moved, or it would ruin their magic.

Brilliant move, Mom.

Kiefer didn't intend to start a new holiday tradition. She was just looking for a simpler way to give her child a fun experience.

"That fact is that there are so many expectations put on parents. It's not just Christmas -- it's birthday parties, it's the treats you bring to soccer practice. Everything is so built up," she said.

The glittering posts on social media have lost their luster for this younger generation of moms, Kiefer says. They are tired of the Era of Excess Parenting.

"All the moms in my generation are feeling constant anxiety about all the expectations and having to do all the things. So, we are starting to throw in the towel and realizing, 'I don't have to follow the mainstream. I can do what works for my family.'"

Kiefer's background as an event planner gives her a healthy perspective on those picture-perfect social media posts. She knows they are stylized and staged and not representative of reality.

Their laid-back gnomes have appeared for the past three years, and her daughter loves them.

"Anytime she tells anyone about her gnome, they think it's funny, too," she said.

The best part of Gnomie and his homies, for Kiefer?

They're cool and lazy and just sit there.

For children of a certain generation, the library was a refuge and a sanctuary.

I count myself among that generation. I spent countless hours in our local public library. I perused all corners of it -- even the ones that made no sense at the time.

I took my own children to the library frequently when they were young, hoping to foster a similar connection to this place. When they checked out books, I would glance at the titles, but I never worried much about the reading material they could access at the library. If I wanted to look at it, it was right there in front of me.

I was far more concerned about the digital material they could access through their phones that I couldn't easily see. Tech companies have profited wildly from children's and teens' increased use of their devices and platforms. Children are more likely to be exposed to graphic, violent, pornographic and damaging content through these devices and websites -- and unlike a book or magazine that parents can see with their own eyes, we can't monitor every screen our child encounters.

As a parent, I have long wanted lawmakers to enact stronger regulations on Big Tech companies, especially in how they market to, and collect data about, children. I wanted better protections for tech consumers of all ages. But for years, Congress failed to regulate these companies, and they became even more powerful. The Democrats didn't take action, and neither did the Republicans when they were in control.

But somehow, libraries have now emerged as the biggest informational threat to children.

Missouri's Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has proposed new rules that would block state funding for public libraries that offer books containing "non-age-appropriate materials." Anyone can challenge access to any book under Ashcroft's rules. Missouri libraries that are found to violate the rules would lose state funding -- taxpayer support. The proposal forbids the use of state library funding for any materials that "appeal to the prurient interest of any minor."

This is so utterly bizarre, given how children actually look for and consume information.

Once upon a time, Republicans would have argued that it was a parent's responsibility to monitor what books their child read at a public library. Certainly, it was not the job of the state to ban books for an entire community. But now, alleged conservative Ashcroft is pushing for the state to be able to shut down literal bastions of free speech and independent thought by threatening their funding over "age-appropriate" books.

Any parent who thinks a library presents a risk of salacious material for their child hasn't spent much time on the internet.

Retired teacher John Samuel Tieman of University City, Missouri, who taught English and history for 40 years, recently wrote a column for international news site axar.az about Ashcroft's proposed rules. In it, he argues that "parents should supervise what their children read, but no one should censor what the community reads."

This idea is foundational to what living in a free and open society means. Ashcroft threatening public libraries has nothing to do with protecting children and everything to do with furthering his political ambitions. Threatening to shut down a library, which ought to be a sacred place of knowledge and ideas, is perverse in a free society.

For those who think these types of rules won't actually lead to the most draconian scenarios, consider that in Missouri, a girl who is raped is now legally mandated to bear her rapist's child.

That's what happens when we think the worst outcomes can't actually occur.

In his column, Tieman posed a question to Ashcroft and Republicans who support him: "Burn any good books lately?"

I wish it were hyperbole.

Having gone through the college application process twice in as many years, I feel compelled to warn parents: Things have changed dramatically since we applied to schools.

Back in the day, I applied to two private universities and had my test scores and transcript sent to the flagship public institution in my state. That was enough back then to be offered admission and a scholarship to the state school. My son, who has also applied to this same state university, had to complete a detailed common application, along with several supplemental essays. Prospective students now apply to an average of six colleges. It’s a lot more competitive and a ton more work than it used to be.

I’ve learned some things I wish I had known earlier in the game. For parents and students who still face this gantlet, here are my best tips to make this time a little less stressful than it tends to be:

1. Start early. Begin creating a list of colleges in the summer before your senior year. Around this time, start brainstorming a few essay ideas for your personal statement. The fall semester of senior year is a busy time for students. The earlier you start, the less stress you experience leading up to the deadlines.

2. Get ready to write. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is the amount of writing required for applications. Many selective schools require supplemental essays and short-answer responses, in addition to the personal statement. Applying for scholarships requires even more essays. Try doing a five-minute free write for each of the questions to deal with writer's block.

3. Love your safety school. It’s important to have at least one backup school you know you will be accepted to that you would be happy attending. While the most elite colleges have slashed their admission rates to low single digits, the majority of colleges still accept most students. Find at least one among this group and focus on the reasons you would enjoy going there.

4. Expect some parental involvement. Most public school counselors are responsible for so many students that they don’t have the time to offer much individualized help. Ask a parent or guardian to review or proofread essays and every section of the common application before it's submitted.

5. Ask teachers for recommendations early. Some are swamped with requests and have to set cutoff dates so they have enough time to write all the letters.

6. Learn the lingo. There are so many different types of admission: early decision, early action, early-action restricted, single-choice early action, regular decision and rolling admission. Unless you are absolutely committed to one school, use early action, regular or rolling admission.

7. Undecided is fine. It’s OK if you don't know exactly what you want to study, what career you want to pursue or even where you really want to go to college. Unless you are applying to a highly specialized program, writing an essay about one area of interest or checking the box for a major does not mean you are locked in. Many students figure out the answers to these questions along the way or explore a new career path after graduation.

8. Have a response ready. Expect people to start asking where you are going to college before you’ve even submitted a single application. It’s important for parents to respect their kids' privacy. Ask what information they are comfortable sharing and have a standard response.

9. Money matters. Be frank about what you can afford. Be realistic about loans and what it means to borrow large sums of money for an undergraduate degree, especially if you plan to major in a field with lower starting salaries.

10. Make a calendar. With so many deadlines, including those for financial aid forms like the FAFSA and CSS, create a calendar and share the deadlines with your parents. Break the application process down into smaller steps, such as filling out general information, creating a resume, starting an activities list, brainstorming the personal essay, asking for recommendations and compiling supplemental essays. There's a lot of demographics and information required by each college even when using the common app.

11. Normalize rejection. Rejection is to be expected with far more students applying to more colleges. Acceptance rates at highly selective schools are lower than they've ever been. Rejection should be a normal and expected part of the process. Colleges turn away many talented students, and some of the criteria are entirely out of your control.