Though teachers act as an additional guardian to children, there are remarks that they are not allowed to make to parents without it being considered overstepping.
Now that she's not in the classroom anymore, however, TikToker and former teacher Maggie Perkins has no problem spilling all the tea, informing parents of the ways in which they're falling short in caring for their children, and how that impacts other people's perception of their children.
In the first video in a series, Perkins shared basics, like not touching genitals, washing hands after using the restroom, and basic maintenance, like brushing teeth, clipping nails, and washing hair.
In addition to the child's hygiene is the cleanliness if their possessions. Their water bottles grow mold, and their lunch boxes, backpacks, and winter and rain coats get dirty and need to be washed.
You can watch Perkins' first video here:
@itsmaggieperkins As a teacher I was not able to tell parents these things. Some of them are about hygiene and others are social and developmental. Regardless, it impacts how other kids (and adults) perceive your child. I observed these regardless of social class, background, gender, etc. I observed these at all grade levels. #parentsoftiktok #teacherlife #parenting #formerteacher #middleschoolteacher #elementaryschool #healtheducation
In a follow-up video, the former teacher continued to explore other hygiene issues that she'd noticed about her students that other students and teachers noticed, too.
Among these were greasy, unwashed hair, as well as picking and eating scabs and boogers. With basic hygiene tasks like butt-wiping and blowing noses not being taught at home, many children were constantly dirty and smelly to others in the classroom.
You can watch the video here:
@itsmaggieperkins When I was a teacher, I would not have been able to tell parents these things. There are a lot of kids who pick scabs and eat them. This is really gross to see, and becomes a hygiene problem, especially when they are using very dirty fingernails to pick these scabs. Hair washing needs to be a priority, kids need to learn how to actually clean their scalp. You have to really use shampoo and you have to really clean the scalp. A lot of kids develop hair that has been greasy for multiple days, and dandruff builds up. Please teach your kid how to blow their nose. They are wiping and eating boogers and have constant not running on their faces. These are the things that other people notice about your child. If you need support helping your child with these things, please look up article articles, or videos for how to talk to your child ##teacherlife##teachersoftiktok##formerteacher##parenting##middleschoolteacher##elementaryschool##parentsoftiktok
In a third video, Perkins focused on the effects of smoking around children. Even when parents don't smoke inside the home, the smell would often still linger on their clothing and in their hair, which would transfer to their children.
She astutely pointed out that this will become an issue beyond embarrassment for children when they reach middle school, as some authority figures might think they are smoking cigarettes or weed, and they'll receive unwanted, undeserved attention or punishment.
Other smells like cat litter or excess dust or cardboard in a house with too many possessions can similarly transfer to kids.
You can see that video here:
@itsmaggieperkins Replying to @OneCoolMom just a few more things. If an adult in the home smokes, the child smells like smoke,. That just does not wash out. A lot of kids are going to school with no socks on. It starts to really smell bad, and mildew builds up. Parents send the same water bottle to school every single day without washing it. There’s mildew in there, and when sweet drinks are added, also mold. The kids ears are gross. A lot of kids have earwax buildup that is yellow and brown and crusty in coming out of their ear canal. A lot of kids also are literally dirty behind their ears. Parents need to literally wash behind the ears. #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #formerteacher #parenting #teachertok #middleschoolteacher #elementaryschool
Some viewers were heartbroken that these things even needed to be said.
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Others agreed and shared additional pointers for parents and guardians to consider.
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It's alarming that a former teacher felt the need to make a series of videos about tasks that should be among the most basic of hygiene maintenance.
Parenting is hard and involves a lot of moving parts, but providing a child with basic care is non-negotiable.