Shopping for back to school essentials is well underway as children get ready to return to classrooms in the coming weeks.
From pens to schoolbags to rulers, there's a long list of what's needed with seemingly endless choices.
With this in mind, one teacher has asked parents not to buy one specific stationary item.
In a TikTok video that has been watched over 11 million times, @shimononono says: “As a teacher please DO NOT buy your children this!!”
She explained that people should avoid picking up a ruler that contains pop-it fidgets, RSVP reports.
The teacher outlined a number of reasons why they shouldn’t be included you children’s pencil case, from distracting other students to getting measurements wrong.
“1st off it's bendy and you wouldn't get correct measurements. 2nd it's a distraction for other students, not just the one using it. 3rd there are quieter fidgets to use besides Pop-Its.
“4th in elementary school students trade them all the time at recess or lunch then kids go home crying to their parents that they lost their fidget.
“5th these will definitely be used as a toy and not a school supply; those two things should be separate," she said.
Many TikTok users commented on the clip saying they agreed, while other teachers also gave their support.
One person said: “All these distractions in the classroom and then a teacher gets blamed for not being “engaging” when the kids don’t pay attention”.
A second commenter wrote: “I promise on all things good, I will never buy that for my kids. I saw them in the store and immediately said “yeah that’s asking for a phone call”.
A third person commented: “Those rulers are usually inaccurate and more of a toy. There’s a reason why the wooden old school ones are tried and true”.
However, there were others who thought they are great for helping their children concentrate in class.
One parent said: “Some kids seriously need sensory items like this to succeed in school and stay in school.”
A second viewer shared: “My sons school actively give fidget items out, it definitely helps my son concentrate”.
Another person added: “Hey neurodivergent kids might need it. it can help focus, against anxiety, to manage tics etc etc”.
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