As Memorial Day weekend rolls in, it signifies the unofficial start of summer. While opinions vary on summer breaks, one thing unites us all: those utterly pointless half-days that interrupt the countdown to three glorious months free from schedules, homework, and drop-offs.
A viral video by Jenna Parker, a writer and mother, addresses this issue perfectly, resonating with parents everywhere. She humorously articulates the exasperation we all feel regarding these half-days that schools seem to love.
Sure, schools might have legitimate reasons for including these half-days—final exams, grading, and classroom clean-up. But let’s be honest for a moment: nothing remotely productive occurs during these abbreviated school days.
In her video, Jenna points out, “That just means I have to wake up at 6:30 AM, drag my kids out of bed, send them to school for three hours where they’ll be hyped up on sugar and junk food, and then I have to pick them up before that sugar rush even fades.” The video has garnered nearly four million views and 40,000 shares, and it’s easy to see why.
Once exams are done, kids are simply at school for a few hours of running wild, munching on sugary snacks, and zoning out to movies that offer zero educational value—essentially just a break for teachers, who are equally exhausted by the end of the year. The effort to get kids dressed and out the door for a half-day is bordering on absurd.
“Let the teachers go home!” she pleads. “They’re ready to wrap up. They could say goodbye the day before. They don’t want to come back for another half day of crafts. They’re just as ready for summer as we are!”
The cherry on top of her justified outburst? A follow-up post the next day sharing a photo from one of her son’s teachers, reminding everyone that summer is just around the corner, and we are all in this together.
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In summary, Jenna Parker’s comedic rant about pointless half-days captures the shared frustration of parents everywhere, reminding us that while the school year is winding down, the anticipation of summer is building.