Teen Talk

Rabbi Zvi Soroka

Dear Teen Talk, Teen Talk,

Teen Talk, a new I’m a teenager who just can’t the day column in TJH, is geared towards the teens in our community. Answered by a rotating roster of teachers, rebbeim, clinicians, and peers (!), teens will be hearing answers to many questions they had percolating in their minds and wished they had the answers for. started o on the right foot. I’m popular, have great friends, am good at sports, and do well in yeshiva, but I struggle with getting up on time in the morning. My day often gets o to a really late start. My parents and teachers are losing patience (detention and consequences don’t seem to be e ective), and I’m beginning to hate myself for having this challenge. Any ideas?

Dear Bachur,

Congratulations on being normal. If one is jumping out of bed in the morning and super-excited to tackle a new day, he’s one lucky guy. If you’re like the rest of the 99% of us, you’re in good company. A tired or over-exhausted kid is not a bad kid. He might just be not as well-planned, mature, or structured as others. Even the Chofetz Chaim states in the Mishna Berura that the yetzer hara operates in turbo mode, working overtime on persuading a person not to get out of bed in the morning. He tells you it’s too cold in the winter and that you didn’t sleep enough in the summer.

When confronting weight loss challenges, the simple, practical solution is obviously eating healthily and partaking in regular exercise.

Yet, there are thousands of books written and billions of dollars spent yearly on this issue. That’s because it’s not so simple. Getting up in morning is very similar. The easy solution is: Go. To. Bed. EARLY. If only it were that easy. It requires great discipline and the maturity of knowing that one will accomover-exhausted kid is plish more if he gets up earlier than not a bad kid. He might staying up late functioning on half just be not as well-planned, a brain. mature, or structured as oth- It is vital to understand that ers. Even the Chofetz Chaim most successful and productive people start their day early. They plan to make this happen. A person who arises early to learn and prepare his day in advance will already feel accomplished even if the day doesn’t turn out be the most productive one.

Like all middos, getting up on time is really tough to tackle but will be most rewarding when you succeed. Here are a few tips: • Daven that Hashem gives you strength and injects you with a jolt of zerizus to jump out of bed in the morning. • Screen time in bed must be avoided. Studies demonstrate that it affects sleep cycles and keeps you up

Most successful and productive people start their day early.

much longer than you intended. • Find a chavrusa/buddy who also struggles and create an incentive plan

together with rewards. Maybe your parents would be open to you taking a skiing trip or something you enjoy if you’re consistent with getting up on time for 50 days straight. on time for 50 days straight. • Allow yourself (with • permission from school) to permission from school) to choose one day a month choose one day a month they will be flexible and they will be flexible and allow you to come late if your behavior improves the rest of the time. • Get a 750-page book Are you a teen with a question? If you have a question or problem you’d like our columnists to address, email your question or insight to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com, subject line: Teen Talk.

detailing migration patterns of the detailing migration patterns of the West Indies blue-tailed pigeon or West Indies blue-tailed pigeon or ancient basket weaving techniques of the Mayan Empire. It will knock you out quickly so you can go to sleep on time. • There are also alarm clocks that fly like a drone and hide somewhere in your room. They proceed to violently wake up the neighborhood, registering at least a 6.4 on registering at least a 6.4 on the Richter scale. Perhaps that the Richter scale. Perhaps that will get you out of bed in time for Shacharis. • Lastly, it’s important to remember, there will be days that you will fall and wake up late again. Don’t be disillusioned. You will rise up again! Tomorrow is a new day!

Hatzlacha!

Rabbi Zvi Soroka is a rebbe in Yeshiva Darchei Torah and head counselor at Camp Le’mala.