A mother is going viral for teaching students on a school bus a lesson on kindness. In a heartwarming, hilarious video, the parent stepped in on behalf of a harried bus driver by boarding the bus to deliver a firm yet loving warning to the young passengers.
After introducing herself as “Jupiter’s mom, Ms. Topanga,” she launched into a message that the kids won’t soon forget, judging by the looks on their faces.
“You all know Mr. Mack, the bus driver?” she asked the group of wide-eyed students. “You’re not going to be giving him a hard time no more, are we? It’s the beginning of a new school year. So, we gonna act like we got some sense, right?” she asked, before delivering the line that likely struck fear in the children’s hearts. “Cause I would hate to go to your parents’ house, all right?” she told the kids.
‘I Don’t Want No Problems’
In a move some viewers found controversial, she pointed to a boy whose eyes were peeking over the back of a bus seat and called him the “bully of the bus,” a moniker that many viewers felt was unfair.
“Mr. Liam, we’re going to keep that to a minimum, okay,” she told the young boy. “This little girl right here, she don’t know no bad words like that.”
The mom revealed she knew the boy’s parents “personally” and would alert them if he kept up the alleged behavior.
One commenter wrote, “Although her heart is genuine. The only children you can correct is your own. The little boy that was singled out. He will never forget it.”
Before leaving, she told the driver, Mr. Mack, he could call on her at any time. “I swear I’ll get y’all,” she told the children. “I don’t want no problems… Do I have to come back?”
In a hilarious moment, the kids responded in unison, “No.” But when she proclaimed that she loved them all, they mumbled half-hearted replies.
She yelled out again, “I said I love you all. I can’t hear it back…”
‘It Takes a Village’
Most commenters on Atlanta Black Star’s Instagram post applauded Jupiter’s mother, noting that her impact on the students would extend well beyond their daily ride to school.
“It takes a Village. She was stern and respectful,” wrote one person who agreed with her approach. Another chimed in, “My mom and grandma would approve of this so much. I wish we still had those village parents!”
But others disagreed, including a K. Monique’ who identified herself in the comments as the great-aunt of two children who appeared in the video. “This is not okay. My niece does not post her kids on social media,” she wrote. “This video has gone viral to multiple platforms, and it’s not acceptable… she should have spoken with the parent first rather than sharing with the world.”
Jupiter’s mom hasn’t publicly responded to the criticism. But if the kids act up again, she’s only a phone call away.
