There are now more special activities at school than ever: school spirit day, pajama day, dress like you’re 100 (for the 100th day of school, of course), and book character day. Then there’s the book fair, the fundraiser, superhero day, red ribbon week, and support your favorite sports team day.
While fun, these special days can be a lot of work for parents who have to provide supplies and outfits, often at the last minute. One comedian recently took note of this trend and, in a series of videos, brilliantly satirized it.
Comedian lists unhinged things kids need for school at the last minute
Jeremy Konopka is a social media creator, actor, singer, and comedian. He’s racked up over 100,000 Instagram followers with his blisteringly funny skits, observations, and reenactments.
Recently, he’s hit on a phenomenon that resonates deeply with his audience: kids’ last-minute requests for strange or obscure objects they need for school.
He’s mining it for laughs, and his audience is absolutely eating it up. Playing the role of an all-too-casual kid the night before school, here are a few things Konopka “asks” for in just one of his videos:
“You know how we’re reading The Great Gatsby? Well, tomorrow we’re all dressing like the Roaring Twenties.”
“I need a pack of sugar-free Reese’s because tomorrow we’re doing our Halloween party.”
“I need to bring in the new modem for our class Wi-Fi; they said it has to be Xfinity.”
It’s not all things parents need to rush out and buy. Their precious time isn’t safe, either:
“Oh, Mom, you’re judging the Spelling Bee tomorrow at 8am.”
“Mom, I forgot to tell you, you have to decorate for the winter formal dance and the theme is Narnia.”
“You’re the library mom this year.”
“Mom, tomorrow it’s picture day and you’re taking the pictures.”
And sometimes it’s a combo of time and money that’s required:
“Can we just leave a little early tomorrow so that we can go to Dunkin and get, like, three dozen donuts for Mardi Gras?”
The skits have parents in absolute stitches
If Konopka is playing things up for laughs, it’s just barely. Parents have been flooding the comments on his viral videos to share their own stories of unhinged, last-minute school needs:
“Mine just informed me yesterday, I was bringing the snacks for an overnight bus trip he is taking today. Not any snacks. The list goes by the first letter of the kids last name and its very specific”
“I get stuck baking for her food stalls until 4am because she forgets to tell me until the day before.”
“My sister volunteered my mom to help dissect a sheep eye and she didn’t tell her until they were on their way to school”
“My son just volunteered me for a class bbq – gotta be there at 6.30am on a saturday”
“I found out the night before I needed to dress my son like he was 100 years old”
Stories just like these go on and on by the hundreds.
Truth behind the sketches
Parenting in 2026 is…a lot. Being overwhelmed by school communications and special activities or celebrations is just one slice of the pie. The truth is that parents are completely burned out, overwhelmed, and exhausted by the demands on their time, money, and energy.
The average parent gets about 20 emails a week about their kids’ school and extracurriculars. Multiply that per kid, especially if they’re in different schools and activities, and it gets out of hand in a hurry. It’s no wonder parents struggle to remember when it’s Bring a Stuffy Day.
Will things ease up for parents anytime soon? Probably not.
But at least skits like these from Konopka give parents a chance to laugh through the pain and find solace in the comments section, reminding them that, no, they’re not alone.
