Santa’s Naughty List

At this time of year we’re often reminded of Santa’s naughty list and nice list. Santa’s elves keep a close watch on each child throughout the year, reporting back to Santa with detailed updates of their behaviour. A Christmas Eve review leads to every child getting what they deserve.…

It’s a concept that has its roots in ancient folklore. Many cultures and religions believe in a supernatural figure who rewards the good and punishes the bad…

Bad: That there are bad children – and bad adults – is never doubted. The challenge of what to do about their badness was a frequent debate in the school staff room and is at the heart of our legal system.

Mad: My experience of naughty children in school was that often their misbehaviour was related to the state of their mind. Life experiences – neglect, trauma, abuse… led to insecurity, anger, anxiety… and bad behaviour.

Sad: Many life experiences lead to sadness. Reflecting on the bad people I see on TV – well publicised criminals… international terrorists… thinking of children who were excluded from school because of their bad behaviour – Many bad people are sad people.

Should the emphasis be on the punishment of the bad? Should it be on protecting the rest of the community from badness? Should it be on changing bad people to good people?

The priority for families is usually on the latter – how we ensure that children are on Santa’s nice list. Thus Parents can use Santa’s lists to motivate their children to be good, or blackmail them should they choose to misbehave…

This morning I was challenged by St Paul’s advice that focuses my thoughts on how I treat children (including grown-up children) who may currently be on Santa’s naughty list: ‘Warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.’