An elementary school teacher explains why a child’s birthday celebration in the classroom should be cookie-free.
Ann Brackemyer, a kindergarten teacher in Illinois, shared a video on TikTok detailing her “unpopular opinion” about celebrating a student’s special day with a certain food.
Now, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Brackemyer, 39, further explains her stance, saying, “I’ve just seen a lot of parents bring their kids all kinds of treats and snacks for their birthday, and cookies are always the number one option.”
“But I just don’t think parents realize that a lot of students don’t finish them and I don’t think it’s their favorite dish,” she continues. “I think there are better options, like Little Debbie snacks or cookies or donuts, that are much easier for kids to eat — and they also enjoy it more.”
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According to Brackemyer, she recently started using her TikTok account as a platform for her students’ parents.
“I started making videos for parents who were in my class. I would make videos just to give them suggestions, because a lot of parents would be confused, like, ‘Oh, what’s the right pencil to buy? What’s the right art box to buy?’ ” she says. “I would actually make videos for them. But this year I decided to put everything on TikTok.”
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Courtesy of Ann Brackemyer
Brackemyer also notes that many of her fellow educators agreed with her recent opinion on cookies. “There’s always something scary, like, ‘Oh my God, they have brownies today?’ Like, ‘Oh, we’re going to have a mess and I hope you have tissues,'” she explains.
“But it’s not like I’m going to refuse cookies if a parent brings me cookies,” adds Brackemyer. “I want a child to feel special on their birthday, so if a parent brings cookies, I don’t mind. I just think there are better options.”
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Standard cookie image on top of books and notebooks.
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As for her reaction to her cookie request going viral, Brackemyer tells PEOPLE, “It’s crazy. I never in my life thought I’d be talking to Today show or PEOPLE magazine.”
“I understand that a lot of people have different opinions, and that’s fine – we’re not all the same people, it wouldn’t be fun if we were – so it’s nice to see different ideas,” the mother of four adds.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education