A kindergarten teacher explained why cupcakes are not the best gift to bring to her children’s birthday parties at school. Now she’s getting a lot of hate online.
For some people, birthday parties at school were a fun part of their childhood. If your birthday fell on a weekday, or your parents just wanted to do something nice for you and your classmates, they might bring cake, cupcakes, or another sweet treat to celebrate with the class.
(But who remembers the children whose parents brought them fast food instead, and who thus became royal lunches that day?)
This is an especially convenient way to celebrate if your child is younger or most of their friends are from school. There’s no need to gather all the kids and parents together outside of school if it’s not necessary or out of budget.
But if you want to go that route, Ann Brackemyer (@kbcrayons), a kindergarten teacher and mother of four, has a simple suggestion. She shared the suggestion in a TikTok with more than 2 million views.
“I love celebrating birthdays in my classroom, but I know this opinion will be unpopular, but please do not bring cupcakes,” Brackemyer says.
She explains that they make a “huge mess” and the kids “honestly don’t like eating them that much.” Frankly, even adults don’t do well with cupcakes. The sheer amount of frosting they’re covered in makes them an inherently messy dessert, so we understand why they’re even harder for kids to eat.
Better options
Instead of cupcakes, Brackemyer offers several other alternatives:
- Cookies: These can be any cookies your kids like, but sugar cookies with sprinkles are especially popular in the class.
- Donuts: They come in different sizes and flavors and can also be decorated in fun ways.
- Ice cream tubs: These are a great option if your teacher has a freezer in their room or break room. It just requires a little extra coordination.
- Pretty much any Little Debbie snack: While Cosmic Brownies are a favorite, any other snack will do, too. And you can even bring different boxes.
- Rice Krispies Treats: These were recommended by a parent in the comments section who said they were easy to make and not too messy to eat.
“I love celebrating birthdays in my classroom and encouraging birthday gifts. I’ve found that the suggestions I’ve made over my years as a teacher work better and make the kids enjoy it more,” Brackemyer told the Daily Dot in a direct message.
@kbcrayons Let’s talk about birthdays in the classroom! 🎉. These are some great options for birthday treats. 🎂🥳🎊🎈🎉 Just do it. #kindergarten #kindergartenteacher #kindergartenlife #backtoschool2024 #teacher #tiktok #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #kindergartenmom #kindergartenbirthday #birthdaytreats #walmart ♬ Original sound – KBcrayons
Please note the restrictions
It is important to check your school or district’s policy on bringing outside food into the classroom for celebrations, as in some cases it may be prohibited or there may be special rules, such as only store-bought food and no homemade food is allowed.
One of the most common factors to consider is allergies. Some children may be allergic to nuts, gluten or lactose, among others.
Aside from allergies, there may also be certain things that parents do not want to feed their child.
The kindergarten teacher had already caused a stir when she explained why the Target pencil case was causing a distraction in class.
In the comments section, people had mixed reactions to Brackemyer’s video.
“Send cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!! extra frosting,” read one top comment.
“As a preschool teacher, bring spaghetti if you want!!! Anything I can do to make your child happy,” one person wrote.
“She makes suggestions… they all seem helpful. I don’t understand why you guys are so upset,” said another.
“Some of you in the comments don’t understand the difference between ‘here are some suggestions that I’ve found to go more smoothly’ and ‘you have to do this or the teacher will hate you,'” one commenter added.
The Daily Dot asked the school teacher for comment via direct message on Instagram.
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