MARK MY WORD: FOR SOME KIDS, SCHOOL IS ONE BIG PAJAMA PARTY

You don't see grown-ups doing this sort of thing unless they're school principals.

It's not every day your 6-year-old gets to go to school in pajamas.

But such was the case on Friday the 13th for our oldest daughter, Becca.

You don't see grown-ups doing this sort of thing unless they're school principals. There's good reason for that.

Night wear can be a scary sight when you're over 30.

But in life's early years, people look cute in pink pajamas.

Still, just any pajamas won't do. Becca's school sent home do's and don'ts in advance of Pajama Day.

Boxer shorts were OK, but only with shorts or sweats worn underneath. A whole lot of adults would probably be wise to follow that advice too.

The school's principal also decreed that only pajamas with appropriate language or pictures would be allowed on school grounds.

This is a nice way of saying, "Don't wear anti-Barney sleepwear to school."

Even kids know they have rights. This is a free country. Children have a right to parade around in purple dinosaur pajamas.

Slippers or socks were okay for in-school wear. But they were banned from the playground. Even in school, you have to draw the line somewhere.

Our youngest daughter, 2-year-old Bailey, could care less about slippers. At her age, footed sleepwear is still a plus.

But now that she has seen her older sister go off to school in pajamas, she has a reason to look forward to kindergarten.

No doubt, she'll have to have her own pink pajamas when she goes to kindergarten.

A financial booklet we get at work lists 15 cures for cabin fever. Wearing pajamas to work isn't one of them.

The booklet recommends singing in the shower. That's small comfort for those of us who are pitch-challenged.

Enjoy silence, the booklet suggests. That's great advice unless you're a parent.

About the only time our house is silent is in the dead of night when we're sleeping.

The booklet also advises people to throw away something they don't like.

Preferably, you shouldn't throw away your in-laws.

As parents, you might want to throw away all those little fast-food toys that seem to be holding constant conventions in your home.

At our home, Becca and Bailey have turned toy clutter into an art form. You can't walk two feet without running into a toy or children's book.

This brings us to the next suggestion: organize some small corner of your life.

For most parents, the best bet is to lock yourself in the bathroom where you can read those Disney World travel brochures for at least two minutes before your children come knocking on the door.

My advice: Don't let them in. You don't want them to see you wearing pink pajamas.

~Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.