It seems as if Santa’s work has been done for him this year. His naughty and nice list, at least for some of the top celebrities in Hollywood, has been plastered all over newsstand practically since last Christmas! The American public probably knows more about the personal lives and social fiascos of their favorite big screen star than they do about wars and natural disasters happening on the other side of the globe! Just ask the kids…

Who’s Tops the Naughty List?

Ask any boy or girl, even some as young as two years old, who tops Santa’s naughty list this year. You may be surprised! They are less likely to name classic villains such as Darth Vader or the Grinch from Dr. Seuss’s classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or even Swiper the Fox from popular children’s show Dora the Explorer, and will instead recite names from the recent covers of the magazines in the grocery story check-out aisles.

Britney Spears claimed the number one spot on the list. Joining her at the top of the list is fellow “bad girl” Paris Hilton, who was plastered on the front page for her three weeks spent in, and for a short time out, of jail. Farther down the list come Lindsay Lohan and Beyonce.

Bad Behavior

While kids recognize that Britney’s been bad, they probably don’t understand exactly why. Her risqué pictures, time in rehab, and custody battle for her children have won her all sorts of negative publicity, but kids have more general definitions for bad behavior.

According to our children, Santa will put you on the naughty list for “not listening to parents,” “bullying,” and “being mean.” These problems are those more often encountered by kids in their day-to-day lives; thankfully they’re not dealing with those issues that their idols and role models face.

Who’s Been Nice?

The kids are also keeping tabs on their competition on the nice list. To earn a spot on the coveted list, kids cite such criteria as “cleaning up,” “doing chores,” “sharing,” and “being polite.” Younger kids put Hannah Montana at the top of the Nice list, and older kids and teenagers chose Angelina Jolie, another familiar face from the newsstands.

How About You?

While most of us keep our lives out of the headlines, there’s no hiding from Santa. After all, he knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you’re awake! He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so which list is he going to put you on? Have you driven courteously and held the door for the person coming in after you?

Or have you cheated on your diet and called in sick to work when really you’d rather sleep in? In the spirit of the holidays, while you’re circling the parking lot looking for a spot, why not give the closer spot to the mom wrangling three kids, and take one farther back. That simple gesture might just save you from the company of Brittany and Paris on Christmas morning.