'...we must have tea: Brown tea, green tea, raspberry tea, mint tea, ginger and honey tea, tea without water, camomile tea.' Photo: Dan Markeye / flickr CC.
Eye - 02 January 2015
Mug-based musings and napping needs
Young Friends ponder napping needs
The vital importance of hot beverages and sufficient napping provision were just some of the topics discussed at Watford Meeting’s Christmas entertainment.
A short scene, acted out by four of the Meeting’s youngsters, grew from the question: ‘We have a Children’s Committee, where adults meet to consider what is best for the children. So, why not the other way around?’ A sprinkling of inspiration later and Robin, Haydn, Aisha and Josiah gathered for the very first Adults and Older People’s Committee, with a little help from Jonathan Carmichael.
In order to help older people (who, as they reminded Friends, ‘are the present of our Society’) to grow and understand what the children had learned over the years, a shared lunch and talk was suggested, with topics varying from ‘Using your imagination’ to ‘How to turn off your phone before Meeting’ – then essential mug-based discussions quickly took centre stage:
‘We should have hot drinks – but for the older people we must make sure there are the right drinks: Coffee with milk, coffee with soya milk, coffee without milk, coffee without caffeine, coffee without coffee.’
‘That’s just hot water!’
‘I know, but that’s how older people like it – I’ve seen them.’
‘And we must have tea: Brown tea, green tea, raspberry tea, mint tea, ginger and honey tea, tea without water, camomile tea.’
‘No, that will only send them off to sleep: you know how older people today can be.’
‘And we must have biscuits. No more than three each.’
After biscuit rationing had been agreed, ideas for adventurous living were mooted – including excursions to young Friends’ houses to learn computer games and trips to theme parks. These were greeted enthusiastically but with a hint of caution: ‘We must think about safety: whenever the Meeting has adults or older people at a Meeting or an event, there must always be two children there, to keep them safe… And all parents must have a form signed by their children, to say they have given their permission for their parent to attend the event.’
What to do when snoozing overtook older Friends was at the forefront of the pragmatic children’s minds: ‘I think, Friends, that we should realise that, for adults, it can be very difficult to sit for an hour without snoring. We have to be realistic.’
Ideas for post-Meeting naps are still under discussion. One Friend suggested providing ‘somewhere nice for them to have a little lie down after Meeting’, to which another Friend piped up with ‘we could have one great big bed’. However…
‘I heard about another Meeting that did that. There were ten in the bed and the little one said “Roll over”. So they all rolled over and one fell out. And banged their head. So, we shouldn’t do that.’
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