Mother goes viral for emailing teacher to opt son out of homework

‘Work to live, we don’t live to work,’ mother says

A mother went viral for sending a ‘cutesy’ email to teacher asking if her son could opt out of homework (Getty Images)

A mother has gone viral after emailing her son’s teacher in an effort to opt out of homework.

In a viral TikTok video, mother-of-three Cayley (@cayleyxo) shared how her son received a 15 to 20-page, double-sided homework packet on his first day of kindergarten. The packet was meant to encompass all of his homework for August, but when the sight of it stressed her son out, she sent the teacher a “cutesy” email.

She started the video, explaining: “I sent my son’s kindergarten teacher a cutesy little email saying, ‘I’m sorry. Based on the stress, mental, physical anxiety it’s causing my kid, we are done.’”

She was motivated to send the email after she and her son tried to work on the homework packet together on 26 August after he had fallen behind, sitting him down to finish at least one or two pages. At that moment, they were both so stressed out, they began to cry.

“It was an emotional mess. I felt so guilty dropping him off at school,” she recalled. “He didn’t want to be there. For the last two weeks, he told me he doesn’t even like school and doesn’t want to be there anymore, which hurts my mama heart because you’re five. The only thing you should be worrying about is learning and what time snack time is.”

She added that she’d rather her children enjoy their education than grow to resent it, stressing: “Work to live, we don’t live to work.”

The video - which has since garnered over 250,000 views on the platform - received tons of comments from teachers who empathized with Cayley and her son.

“Kindergarten teacher here - it’s normal for kids to not like school the first couple of weeks or even months!” one user wrote. “It’s a big adjustment, especially for kids who have never been to preschool or away from their parents. Hang in there, Mama. He’ll love it once he starts to make friends.”

They added, “As for homework, I agree with you. I never sent home homework unless parents specifically asked me, and I always let them know it was optional. I did, however, tell parents to read a book to their child every day, so that was their only ‘homework.’”

“I’m a substitute teacher, and homework is SO outdated and unnecessary! Most teachers at the district I work for have made it a thing of the past, but some are still hanging on. Good for you, though!” another teacher noted.

Fellow parents also voiced similar concerns.

“My kids get SO much homework,” one wrote. “They’re GRADED on it too, starting in first grade public school! The pressure on these kids is insane.”

“We had kinder orientation tonight and my son’s teacher said ‘Homework! It’s kindergarten, I’m not giving homework. Just read with them.’ And I thought ‘good because we ain’t gonna do it,’” someone else added.

Cayley shared an update on the situation on 7 September, saying the teacher had considered her complaints and has since reduced the homework to one page as well as included more interactive assignments.

“I told her I would be up for meeting in the middle and working as a team because that is what we’re here for - the benefit of our children,” Cayley told viewers. “This is your sign to maybe say something to your teacher, nicely and politely, if something doesn’t sit right with you at their school.”