Parenting during a pandemic has proven to be a stressful chore mostly due to remote learning and temporary school closures. With many students across the country taking classes online at home (or a hybrid program), routines have been shattered and families have been left with few ways to cope with the new normal.
One mom is making the most of her 17-year-old high school senior’s remote learning experience by playing principal at home. Good Morning America reported about Deb Plafker from Danville, California who also likes to be known as “Principal Mom.” She does her best to infuse humor into her son’s day by staging elaborate morning announcements through the family’s home intercom system. Her son might not like it, but the internet does. Her videos have gone completely viral on TikTok.
Principal Mom is ensuring that daily morning announcements are still heard, even though his school is temporarily closed.
@jplaf He hates us already ???? ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##momsoftiktok ##onlineschool ##highschool ##backtoschool ##viral ##hsm ##comedy ##parents ##firstdayofschool
♬ original sound – Jamie Plafker
Deb’s oldest son, Max seems like the typical dissatisfied, teenage student so maybe mom is doing her job well. The morning announcements are twists on typical announcements you’d hear in most schools if they were still open today. She even gets help from her 22-year-old daughter, Jamie who often helps create the scripts.
For instance, in one video, Principal Mom announces that drama class is canceled for the day because Max’s sister is providing enough drama already.
@jplaf He hates us already: Part 2 ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##momsoftiktok ##onlineschool ##highschool ##backtoschool ##viral ##grease ##Teleport ##ScienceFair ##lol
♬ original sound – Jamie Plafker
In the very first video in the series, Deb announces, “Welcome student, to the first day of online school. This is your principal, mom. Just a reminder: lunch today is whatever you make yourself.”
Most team sports have also been postponed this year but that doesn’t stop Deb from supporting sports. In one video, she plays the “national anthem” as you’d hear at many ballgames, but instead of the “Star-Spangled Banner” the very annoying children’s song “Baby Shark” is played instead.
“We were making jokes about all the funny things that would happen during this online coronavirus school time,” Jamie told Good Morning America. “I started writing them all down and said, ‘We have to put this on TikTok.’”
“I wrote a little script and said, ‘You’re the actress,’” Jamie added. “And so, “Principal Mom” was born.”
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Jamie is the one who shares the videos on TikTok which people have flocked to for Deb’s hilarious delivery and the offbeat topics that are covered. The first video titled “day 1 of online school” has amassed over 4 million views as of the time of writing.
Subsequent videos of Principal Mom’s announcements are also extremely popular and it’s safe to say that Deb’s a TikTok star.
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“It started out as a joke in our house and now we’ve warmed people’s homes,” Deb told Good Morning America. “It’s really nice.”
As for Max, who also appears in almost all the TikTok footage, he’s not loving the attention, though, big sister Jamie said, he’s “been a good sport.”
@jplaf when the student becomes the teacher ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##momsoftiktok ##principalmom ##principlemom ##thecoldestwater @thecoldestwater ##school ##lol
♬ original sound – Jamie Plafker
Where would we be without moms at a time like this? We love these videos and hope you have enjoyed meeting Deb and Max. Although hearing Principal Mom isn’t the same as hearing an actual principal, we think it’s an upgrade coming from Deb! We think Max will remember this very strange senior year for the rest of his life.
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