A Former Teacher Got Real & Revealed 4 Things She Wish She Could’ve Told Tween Parents
“Your child is probably more aware of it than you are and they're just not talking to you about it.”
Parents, gather round. We know teachers can’t always say exactly what they’d like to. (You know that report card comment that said your kid has a “social personality?” That means they don’t stop talking. Ever.) Gotta keep it polite and professional, of course!
One former 6th grade teacher, however, is getting real with parents on TikTok. Maggie Perkins offered an unfiltered look into a teacher’s mind, and shared all the things she wished she could’ve told parents about their middle schoolers.
First: please, please cut your kid’s nails.
“If your kids nails are long and dirty, other kids are noticing and also it is gross, kids literally get impetigo from their own fingernails,” she said.
Duly noted.
Perkins’ tips mostly revolved around hygiene. Puberty starts much earlier than many parents expect, and when you’re used to seeing your kid as a little kid, you might not notice the signs (or smells) that puberty is kicking into gear.
“Please start putting deodorant on your kids before you notice that they need it,” she requested. “Fifth grade, guys, fifth grade, deodorant.”
Another aspect of early puberty: bras. Perkins said that students usually need them earlier than parents think. Now, there’s no need to get them a Victoria’s Secret push-up bra, but even a training bra can offer an extra layer that can make growing girls feel a bit more comfortable.
“No one wants to be made fun of because it looks like they should be wearing a bra and they're not,” she said.
Perkins’ final request for parents: wash that sweatshirt or jacket they wear every day. You know, the one with the cuffs that have turned brown? Steal it if you have to, but please, please wash it.
“I am watching them wipe their snot on the jacket sleeve day after day after day,” she said. “They're walking around in a dirty snot rag.”
Some of these tips might sound harsh. But kids can be harsh, and as Perkins said, the people most likely to notice these things about your kid are their peers.
“There's no worse feeling than being a sixth grader who has this like acute sense of being different than others and criticized,” she said. “Your child is probably more aware of it than you are, and they're just not talking to you about it, because kids don't talk to their parents that much.”
Perkins faced some pushback in the comments, with some saying she was encouraging bullying behavior by pointing out certain issues. But, the majority of commenters supported believed that her words would only help protect kids from embarrassing middle school blunders.
“For everyone saying a bra is not a must. As a mom at least give the child the offer. I wasn’t given the offer and I was extremely embarrassed in school,” one user said.
“I teach 6th grade. To parents saying they don’t want their kids to bend to social norms I hear you. But your elementary aged child is a paying a price for YOUR protest that YOU don’t have to face,” said another.
“Just spare your children of any unnecessary embarrassment,” another user said. “We know this isn’t how the world is supposed to be. BUT IT IS. so pay attention and make sure they’re clean and well taken care of.”
Middle school is tough enough on it’s own. Helping kids maintain proper hygiene and sparing them from little moments of embarrassment can help to make it slightly more bearable.
