When My Teens Are Free from Responsibilities, I Allow Them to Sleep In – Their Busy Lives Need a Breather
Ever found yourself marvelling at how teenagers function on those seemingly endless school days? Picture this: no alarm bells, no rigid wake-up calls; rather, a sanctuary where my teens can rest as long as their hearts desire. On those non-school days, I grant them the grace to awaken whenever they wish. Early birds or not, it’s their call.
The Relentless School Routine
Typically, one of my teens is up by 9 a.m., and the other indulges in the luxury of sleeping until nearly noon. Not the slightest bit surprised. You see, during school days, it’s a battle against the clock, with wake-up calls before the sun even has a chance to rise. That’s right, before 6 a.m., they muster the resolve to start their day. But come weekends, holidays, or those blessed summer months, I refrain from dictating their sleeping hours. A rather liberating change, don’t you think?
Some might wag their fingers, advocating the virtues of consistency even during breaks. Yet, in our household, achieving the ideal sleep quota seems more like a distant dream. Juggling schoolwork, extracurriculars, and familial duties, they barely manage six to seven hours. If truth be told, there are nights when even that seems optimistic.
Yes, neuroscience agrees, teenagers are hardwired for late nights and sleepy mornings. Alas, schooling systems, particularly in rural settings where buses govern the school time table, seldom cater to such rhythms. Our district is no exception. Resigned to this reality, we play the hand dealt to us.
Misjudged as Lazy
The popular misconception of teenagers as indolent lingerers is one I confront frequently. I prefer to see it as fostering core wellness. A fundamental choice, you see? Sleep is an undervalued asset, especially at an age when they’re teetering on the brink of adulthood.
Admittedly, there is a sliver of selfishness here. My own need for repose is prodigious, inherited perhaps. For years, the unrelenting stretch of motherhood deprived me of sleep, impacting both my body and mind. Guilt gnawed at me whenever I leaned on my husband for nighttime relief. I vowed, my children should know it’s perfectly respectable to require and value their sleep.
So far, I’m relieved to note the system is functioning well. With phones ceding to automatic bedtimes (earlier on weekdays), void of screens, and cradled by a gentle hum of white noise, our strategies pay dividends. They thrive academically, manage part-time jobs, and balance their sleep cycles expertly.
I’m under no illusions, though. It’s not solely my sagacious parenting shaping these outcomes. Each family and young individual is uniquely different. My pursuit is not to cast a shadow upon those who can’t indulge in such leisure. Rather, it’s to ensure mine do not feel castigated should they choose to savor those precious, drawn-out mornings under their cosy quilts.
It’s a quiet rebellion against the rush, a gentle reminder for them that rest is their ally, not an adversary. In such freedoms, they find their strength.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring
