Dena Blizzard will give you anything to take her kids off of her hands.
The actor and self-proclaimed cool mom based in New Jersey, recently posted a hilarious viral video dedicated to all those parents out there who complain about back to school shopping. The Facebook post, with over 18 million views, is also an ode to all the hard-working teachers, she says.
In the video, the mom is seen walking through a local target talking into a camera.
“I’ve been noticing lately that when people are doing their back to school shopping, everybody’s complaining,” she said in the beginning of the video. “It is the end of August. I will give you anything to take my kids. I’ll get you a yellow binder, I’ll get you a red binder, I will tie-dye some s**t. You take these kids out of my house… I’ll get you whatever you want.”
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Blizzard, who also hosts a weekly Facebook Live show Tipsy Tuesday, goes on to say how teachers have the responsibility of teaching children, and buying them the school supplies shouldn’t be a big deal.
“If there was a teacher that said, ‘you know what, I need some Tide, ‘I’ll get you some Tide. You can put whatever you want on that list,” she continued. “I have spent hours teaching my daughter math and history. I don’t know anything about history. And there’s a lady somewhere willing to teach my daughter about history and she wants a yellow binder? I’ll get that b**ch a yellow binder.”
The feedback
“I absolutely did not expect this response. I was riled up about it after listening to people complain about the costs,” the mom-of-three tells Global News. “I sent a text to my sister, a teacher, and said, ‘I made a video for you and teachers in general. I hope you like it.’ I never expected all the love and laughter is created. I just needed to get it off my chest.”
Blizzard adds 99 per cent of the feedback has been amazing and she has also heard from thousands of teachers.
“I’ve heard from teacher who has already started school and already looking for a good laugh. I’ve heard from retired teachers remembering those days and appreciating the thanks for all the time and money they’ve put into their profession through the years. Surprisingly, I’ve also heard from other parents who have said, ‘I never thought of it that way. You’ve changed my perspective on school shopping.'”
Social media users respond
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On Facebook, several parents chimed in about why they complain.
“We complain because there’s between five to seven different teachers (depending on the school) with a list all their own and each teacher wants something different. Parents already shed out enough money to buy their kids new school clothes and shoes so they won’t be made fun of in class for wearing the same stuff from last year,” user Katie Glass wrote.
“It’s not the fact that you have to buy supplies. It’s that they clearly are putting way more on the list then what’s needed. You are supplying for the ones who won’t. When you have a few of your own children it’s upsetting when they expect you to supply more than needed,” user Jennifer Cowell Castillo wrote.
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Others completely missed the punch line, and thought Blizzard was complaining about having kids. “This lady seems bothered by her children. I enjoy my child being home and the teaching doesn’t stop when she gets home because I help every night with homework. I guess I’m one of those parents that complain because I feel like I’m buying for my child and everyone else’s child in the class,” LaToya Starkie Bryant wrote.
According to some users, teachers provide school supply lists in the beginning of the year asking for a variety of things including boxes of Ziplock bags and several boxes of crayons.
User Ebony Mason says she often complains about buying school supplies because although she has to purchase several quantities of each item, teachers often ask her mid-year to get more.
“This is my kids kindergarten school supply list… then in the middle of the year when she loses something I’m expected to buy more. That’s what i don’t get… If every parent gets 15 folders why is it when she needs more supplies there is none?,” she wrote on Facebook.
Advice for parents this shopping season
Vancouver-based parenting coach Julie Romanowski, says you can ask teachers for a list if you didn’t receive one, however, this doesn’t mean you’re going to get one.
“Research online, Facebook groups of parents from that school, past students of the teacher,” she tells Global News. “The key here is to be prepared as much as possible to eliminate pure and unnecessary chaos, stress and upset. If you don’t have everything, that is OK too. This does not measure how good of a parent you are.”
And if you are looking for ways to cut back on costs, try online shopping, going to thrift stores or checking out Facebook groups of other parents willing to sell supplies.
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Here are some tips she has before making the trek for school supplies.
- Set up clear plan
- Include enough time to go through each part of the plan (organizing, prepping, shopping, labelling etc.)
- Discuss with kids and ask for their input and ideas
- Create lists with items ‘needed’ and a separate one for items ‘wanted’
- Plan the shopping dates on a calendar for all to see
- Either go together or schedule who is going when to limit the potential chaos
- Create space in the home or bedrooms for the new items to be stored
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