The kids are home from school today, thanks to a professional development “in-service” day for Sandwich Public Schools.

I find a couple of things ironic here. One, the term “in-service.” Who is in service here? Certainly not the schools. The situation serves only to put us back in parental service on a work day. There has to be a better way to achieve professional development than shutting down the entire school system.

Two, the children are two weeks removed from Christmas break. Not only do they have today off, but also the MLK holiday on Monday. A 4-day weekend two weeks after a week-and-a-half vacation (not to mention there was a half day two days before the break)? I’m missing the logic. How does this serve the learning process?

Second, as the kids run around the house this morning, adding color to my conference calls and home-office atmosphere, I am reminded of this Dunkin Donuts commercial showing parents freezing at Pee Wee Hockey. We’re not hockey parents, at least not yet, but we can relate to the sentiment. I have a suggestion for Dunkin Donuts’ ad agency for their next creative endeavor: Show stay-at-home parents singing and lamenting the full day off from school (or school vacation), while worshipping a DD coffee amidst the kids running wild through the house. I think that paints a fairly accurate picture of what’s going on in many Sandwich households today.

If Brandy and I could receive a dollar for every time a child has asked us for something today, we’d not have to work at all.