Updated: November 18, 2016
Originally Published: November 10, 2016
Every parent knows that getting kids ready for school or daycare can feel like a circus act. Between rushing to get yourself ready while ensuring your little ones are dressed, fed, and out the door, the mornings can be a whirlwind of chaos. Most days, we feel accomplished just getting them out the door with matching socks and clean teeth. So when those flyers announcing theme days come home from school, it’s enough to make us want to pull our hair out.
Fortunately, a mom named Sarah Davis has captured this struggle perfectly in her viral video rant about the absurdity of school theme days. With over 190,000 shares, her comedic take on this topic has struck a chord with many parents.
In her video, Sarah humorously waves around a flyer for her kids’ “Red Ribbon Week,” a campaign aimed at promoting awareness about drug and alcohol prevention. “The goal is to encourage kids to stay drug-free,” she states, before crumpling the flyer and declaring, “that’s a lie.” Sarah argues that the real aim of these theme days is to send parents on a wild goose chase for different outfits each day. And honestly, can we get an amen?
When I see these flyers, my initial reaction is a mix of dread and exasperation. Not only do I have to hunt down specific clothing items or accessories, but my child will inevitably have requests to match her friends’ outfits. And just when I think I have it all sorted, my son will decide at the last minute that the carefully assembled outfit is all wrong. It’s enough to make me want to toss all the theme day clothes into a fire and walk away from the parenting gig altogether.
Because seriously, schools, we already have a mountain of responsibilities. We don’t need more tasks piled on in the form of these theme days that hardly educate our kids on anything meaningful. Sarah echoes this sentiment, pointing out that wearing a tie-dyed shirt on “crazy hair day” doesn’t exactly equip children to resist drugs in the future. What are they really learning here?
In a comedic moment, Sarah imagines teachers conspiring against parents, sending them to stores like Target to find specific themed outfits. “Because maybe if they dressed brighter, when faced with drugs at 20 years old, they wouldn’t fall into addiction,” she muses, laughing at the absurdity.
While her video is undeniably funny, it raises an important question: do these theme days really accomplish anything? They may provide a bit of fun for kids, but at what cost to parents—and what message are we really sending?
Let’s collectively ask schools to reconsider these theme weeks. Instead of adding to our morning madness, let’s focus on meaningful education and leave the costume planning out of it.
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Summary:
This mom’s comedic rant about school theme days highlights the chaos parents face, emphasizing that these events often add unnecessary stress without providing real educational value. With a humorous tone, she calls for schools to rethink these themed weeks and focus on more meaningful learning instead.