Illinois teacher goes viral asking parents not to bring cupcakes

A teacher in Illinois has a request for parents as school begins.

Ann Brackemyer, a kindergarten teacher in Morrison, is making headlines with what she calls an “unpopular opinion” just as children are going back to school.

Parents like to bring cupcakes to school for the class on their child’s birthday. It’s fun and makes the child feel like a celebrity for a day. But Brackemyer, who definitely supports birthday treats in the classroom, has some alternatives to the cupcakes.

In her viral TikTok, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views, she says:

Please don’t bring cupcakes. They make a huge mess and the kids really don’t eat them. The frosting runs everywhere and… It’s just too much for them.

She said many children eat just the frosting and nothing else. Instead, she suggests Little Debbie snack cakes, soft store-bought sugar cookies, mini doughnuts or ice cream sundaes.

@kbcrayons Let’s talk about birthdays in the classroom! . These are some great options for birthday treats. Keep it simple. #kindergarten #kindergartenteacher #kindergartenlife #backtoschool2024 #teacher #tiktok #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #kindergartenmom #kindergartenbirthday #birthdaytreats #walmart ♬ Original sound – KBcrayons

As with many things that go viral on social media, the comments are divided. Some commenters seem to think the idea is ridiculous, others think it’s not a bad suggestion. One person suggested mini cupcakes as a compromise.

But Breckemyer says several kindergarten teachers agree with her on this point. Some of the comments read:

• “I was my kindergartener’s class mom last year and helped with all of the holiday parties. At one, I even said out loud, ‘Note to self: Don’t send me cupcakes.'”
• “It’s the lunch lady! The cupcakes end up frosted side down on the floor. The red and blue stains the kids and tables and makes a huge mess. But send what your child would like for their birthday.”
• “Is it your birthday? Or hers?”
• “During his senior year of elementary school, we brought Taco Bell for his birthday. The day before, we counted the number of hard and soft tacos. The kids and teacher loved it!! Bring the cupcakes.”

Of course, this applies to the children who are lucky enough to celebrate their birthday with their classmates during the school year. Some of us didn’t have that, but we are not bitter.