It seems like every year, there are more children on the naughty list. Yes, I make this list and check it twice, and always know, if you're naughty or nice. That's right, I'm Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, whatever you call me, I'm always the jolly old fat man, with the rosy cheeks.

I'm sitting here on my big comfy davenport, sipping cocoa and eating cookies, pondering on what I should do about all the naughty children in the world. I usually would give them coal, but finding out that coal, can turn into diamonds. I wasn't going to waste it on children.

I get off my tush and walk over to the computer monitors to watch the children around the world. No, I'm no pervert or anything, so don't think I watch kids while they are naked. The computers are fully set up for those types of problems. Whenever a child or an adult gets nude, it blurs the areas.

Lately, I have been watching these two little children. Amanda and Trevor, both twins, age nine. They are on the good list. Have been all their lives. In fact, they have never been naughty even once, which is a surprise, because most children cause one bad thing each year or almost every day.

On one screen, I see Amanda and her brother Trevor doing their chores. I have never seen them complain once, but I can tell that they don’t like the chores they are told to do. Trevor has to rake and bag the leaves in the lawn and Amanda has to Wash dishes and  Fold and put away laundry

Yes, I know this is typical chores for a girl and a boy to do, but I know the reason why they don’t like them. It is not because they are disobedient like most children are, it’s because both have gender dysphoria. In their minds, Amanda isn’t a girl, she is a boy named Max and Trevor isn’t a boy, he is a girl named Chelsea. I usually think of them as the names they chose to be.

Chelsea was just finishing up with the last bag of leaves when her father, Richard came up behind her. I don’t approve of the kids parents actions. They are, what a lot of people would call transphobic.  Chelsea and Max have never told their parents they are transgender, because they are scared of what they would do, if they did tell them.

“Good job son,” Richard complimented, not knowing it bothered young Chelsea. Now being bothered, does not make someone be put on the naughty list, it’s just an emotion that some people have.  Richard started walking away from Chelsea, but turned back. “Oh, Trevor, did you sign up for hockey like I asked you to?”

Now this, I knew made Chelsea nervous, for one, she didn’t like sports and two even if she did, she wasn’t very good at it.

“Yes, dad,” Chelsea answered.

“Good boy. How was try outs?”

“I didn’t make it on the team,” Chelsea looked at the grass. She knew her dad was going to yell at her.

Right on cue, Richard hollered in her face. Which made me very angry at him. I hate it when children get treated this way. “You didn’t make it on the team!? I am not raising no loser! Go to your room, I don’t want to see you out of there for the rest of the night.

“Dad, it wasn’t my fault, I tried…” Chelsea tried to explain what had happened. Which I knew. She was not as fast as the other children trying out, but Richard slapped her in the face.

“Just for that, no supper as well!” Richard yelled. Chelsea cried all the way up to her room. I know the Christmas song everyone knows says, ‘you better not cry’, but in this case, I can understand why someone would cry.

“Santa is watching you! You’re on the naughty list! You're not getting anything for Christmas this year!” Richard hollered up the stairs.

I knew that Chelsea was not on the naughty list, she was on the nice list. I felt sorry to see Chelsea cry. I had to do something about it. As for Max, he is just finishing up folding the laundry and putting them away, when Richard came up to him. He still had steam coming out of his ears and needed it take it out on someone else as well. Since Max was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was the one that got it.

“Amanda!”Richard yelled at Max, “How many times have I told you to get out of my way?”

“I wasn’t…” Max started to protest, but Richard interrupted him.

“Don’t lie to me, young lady! Go to your room! You too will not get any supper tonight.” Now Max hated to cry, but because of this moment, he cried all the way to his room. “Also, you are on Santa’s Naughty list as well!”

What gives him the right to say, that they are on the Naughty list? I am the one that chooses to put them on the list. As far as I know, Richard is on the Naughty list. He has been on it, for many years now, which disappoints me. Now, I see both children crying on their beds. This breaks my heart, seeing two good children being treated this way.  Now I definitely had to do something about this.

With a twitch of my nose and a twinkle of my thumb, I used my Christmas magic and brought those two children from their distress and they were standing next to me, a bit confused. Seeing their expressions made me laugh.

“Ho, Ho, Ho” I cleared my throat and looked at them. “I’m sorry to confuse you both, Max and Chelsea.”

Max and Chelsea now had shocked looks on their faces.

“How did you know my secret name, Santa?” Max asked.

“I was going to say the same thing?” Chelsea giggled.

I gave another chuckle. I knew this was a surprise to both of them. You see, the names they chose, they never shared with anyone. Not even each other.

“Don’t you know all about me?” I explain, pointing to my monitors, which show them on the screen next to me. “I see you when you're sleeping, I know when you're awake, I know if you've been bad or good.”

Chelsea looks down at the ground. “So, you know I have been bad.” She starts to tear up.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” I chimed in. “You're both on the Nice list.”

“But, according to my dad, I’m on the Naughty list,” Chelsea explained.

“So am I?” Max added.

“Your dad does not have the authority to add you two to the Naughty list.” I explained to them. “I am the only one that puts children on the list and as long as you’ve been alive, you two have never been naughty.”

I saw that both of the children smiled. That always makes me all warm and cozy inside, to see children happy. I had to help them out with their troubles.

“The reason why I brought you two here tonight is, you two have been treated very poorly by both your parents. I am wanting to give you two very special gifts. These gifts, are not ones that you can find under the tree. But I can’t just give it to you, without getting something from it as well. Because I am using Christmas magic. For the gifts I will give to you will change both your lives forever.”

“What is it?” Max and Chelsea both said at once.

“I look at Max. For you Max, I will give you the gift of boyhood,” I smiled. “Which will become a real boy.” I look at Chelsea. “And as for you Chelsea, I am giving you the gift of girlhood, which will make you a real girl”

The two children both cheered. I can tell they were very happy.

“But what about our parents?” Max asked, looking up at me.

“Because the way they have been treating you, I have made it that they have never been your parents. You will be with a new family. This family is very supportive of all gender identities. I have been working with this family for a while now and they are excited to have you as their children.”

“What do we have to do first?” Chelsea asked? “You did say, it’s Christmas magic and you can’t just give it to us, without getting something from it as well.”

“That is true,” I smiled at Chelsea. “It’s a bit of a challenge, but I know you two can do it. There’s this kid named Jeremy.” I show them a picture of Jeremy on the screen. “He has been extremely naughty and has been on the Naughty list for four years now. I would like you two to help him change his ways and get on the Nice list this year.”

“How can we do that?” Max asked. “Christmas is in eighteen days.”

“Ho, Ho, Ho,” I chuckle. “Haven’t you ever wondered why I can deliver all those toys to millions of kids in one night? I have a time machine. I use it to go back in time and do everything all at once.”

“But wouldn’t going back in time, make all the toys you gave out, disappear?” Max asked.

“Nope, it stays there. That’s why you can go back in time the same days Jeremy causes trouble and change his future. I know you can do it.”

“I’m a little nervous,” Chelsea shivered. “What if we can’t change him?”

“Don’t worry. If you can’t change him, it’s not the end of the world. I will still give you your gifts. But I will be watching you two. I will know if you're faking it.”

We all walk into a room. Inside the room, there is the machine, I use to travel in time. Beside the machine are two bracelets. I hand one, to both of them. It doesn’t matter who presses the button, they both go at the same time, to the same place.

“I made it  look like a bracelet. But don’t worry, if you lose it, I can always help you find it.”

Chelsea and Max looked a little nervous. I would too, if I were a little child, going on my first time travel.

“Are you two ready to go?” I asked.

“Yes,” they both said.

“Good luck,” I chuckled. I flipped the switch.