I am a morning person. I do most of my work in the morning.
By four, I am feeling my blood sugar dropping. I have tried to get some people
interested in going for the $2.99 breakfast at a local cafe. A real bargain,
which just started this month, but I cannot get anyone to go with me.
Interesting.
However, I have noticed something in American society which
disturbs me greatly. Most people I meet now
are night people. I am surrounded by people of all ages who stay up to midnight, one, two. Many of these people
have children, and allow their children to stay up late.
I am not talking about people living in poverty, but
middle-class and upper-middle-class families.
I cannot understand families which stay up late. There is
something not Christian about staying up late unless one is in prayer. There is
something not quite right about staying up late, so late, that one cannot greet
God in the morning.
The kids in the morning can hardly get up for camp in one
family I know. I have seen this in one family with which I am familiar. The
kids are in baseball and football camps and in the morning, as they go to their
day of sport, they act like zombies. They have been allowed to stay up way too
late. Why?
Oddly enough, one of the persons in this neighborhood,
solidly middle class, has a license plate with ZOMBIE on it.
When did it happen in this culture that children stopped
going to bed at nine or ten, if teens? Teens actually need at least eight to
ten hours of sleep a night.
When did it happen that parents thought it was ok to watch
TV until one or even two? Kids have TVs in their rooms and computers in their
rooms. Parents watch movies late into the night.
The problems of work-place illnesses and accidents may be
sleep-deprivation and the lack of awareness needed for most jobs.
I have been in this house for the past two weeks and there
have been three people killed in car accidents since I have been here, in this
city alone. Three.
A lack of attention? Drinking or drugs? Sleep-deprivation?
I see many young people with short tempers, with frustration
and anger.
I had an excellent pediatrician for my son in England
He was correct. Start with the physical and move to the
spiritual. Sometimes kids are just plain tired. Anger and frustration can
simply be symptoms of a lack of sleep and no scheduling. Kids do better with
schedules. We all do.
I blame the parents, as too many parents do not have
schedules themselves. Pay attention to
your days. Schedule going to bed times. Schedule prayer times.
Teach your children to be disciplined. We do not have much
time.
If any readers can share with me why people are staying up
so late, please let me know. I am wondering at this habit and part of the
culture I have not noticed before the past six months. Interesting.