Get out of

that bed and rattle those pots and pans. It's time to rise and shine.

Get up, Johnny; you have to go to school.

With only a

few days before principals and teachers welcome students, would you parents

please give me your ear? We have a problem. It's about sleep. Our kids

are not sleeping when they should at night and are falling to sleep during

class or are so drowsy that their brain can't function.

Our bright

and gifted and prepared teachers come to class ready to impart life-shaping

knowledge only to be greeted by half-opened eyes and closed down brains.

Seriously! If you don't believe me, the next time you watch a Braves game

when school is in session, see how many children are rooting for the home

team. I see them and am aghast knowing full well that these kids have

school the next day. Games can sometimes run up to 11 and 12 p.m. Then,

figure in the time to ride home.

We expect the

best when it comes to quality of faculty. We pay for the best when it

comes to equipment that furnishes our schools. We have air-conditioned

classrooms so the heat will not distract from the learning process. We

have audio-visuals and high-tech stuff to draw the interest of this sensate-bombarded

generation. But none of it will do any good if the student is hung over

from a night of just a few hours of sleep.

Children need

a minimum of eight hours of sleep. The younger the kid, the more sleep

he or she actually requires to be a totally fit learning machine. The

average high school senior requires eight hours and 15 minutes of sleep.

The average middle-school student needs about nine hours of sleep. And

the average first grader requires ten hours of sleep. Yet, many parents

essentially are abusing their children by allowing them to hit the sack

later and later at night. I have seen parents consistently to bed their

elementary kids at 11 p.m.