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Why teenage brains need that lie-in
Has your sweet,
loveable child who used to watch TV early in the morning turned into a morose, truculent teenager who doesn’t want to
get out of bed till nearly lunchtime? Don’t be alarmed. According to a leading body clock expert, teenagers really do need those extra hours in bed – and they are more to be pitied than blamed.
For the teenage
brain is a ‘work in progress’, and has profound changes taking place within it, according to Prof Russell Foster,
a ‘chronobiologist’ at Oxford University. MRI scans of adolescent
brains conducted over the last decade have revealed that not only is there major reorganization in the teenage brain, but
that it continues to develop until the early twenties.
Mary Carskadon,
director of sleep research at EP Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island, America,
estimates that teenagers do best on about nine hours of sleep a night. She believes
that a later starting time for school would greatly improve alertness and the mental abilities of teenagers during their morning
lessons.
In the meantime,
no wonder teenagers sleep in - when they get the chance!
Our youth activities are designed to promote our values and help build lifelong
friendships.
Pathfinders - Youth Group
If you are aged 11+ then why not join the Pathfinders on a Sunday evening.
PATHFINDERS (young people aged 11+) meet on a regular basis in St Mary’s
Church Hall.
The Pathfinders meet in St Mary’s Church Hall Over [opposite the Church]. The evenings are a mixture of food, fun, games and teaching
on the Christian faith.
The Group is also planning some rather special “extra” activities, but you will
have to join them to find out more…… If you’re interested, no need to book your place or make a reservation
– just come and join in. The Pathfinders are a small group and you will find a very warm welcome awaits you. For more
details phone ………01954-204529
Mini-Jaffas & Pram Service
These meetings
are for parents with pre-school children. Mini-Jaffas meet in Longstanton Village Institute at 10.30 a.m.
on a Tuesday morning, and Pram Service meets in St Mary’s Church (and then the hall) at 2 p.m. (also on a Tuesday).
A short informal
time of worship is followed by craft activities (related to the theme) and refreshments. This is an excellent way of introducing
young children to worship, as well as being a good way of meeting other parents.
Those who have
had their children baptised will find this a great way of keeping their baptismal promises. Just turn up and you will be guaranteed
a warm welcome at either venue.
From the lips of children …
I was testing the children in my (infant) Sunday School class to see if they understood
the concept of getting to Heaven. I asked them, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave
all my money to the church, would that get me to Heaven?”
“No!” the children answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the lawn in the churchyard and kept
everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?”
Again, the answer was “No!”
By now I was starting to smile. This was fun! “Well, then, if I was kind to animals
and gave sweets to the children and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?”Again, they all answered “No!”
I was just bursting with pride for them.
“Well,” I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?”
A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU’VE GOT TO BE DEAD!”
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