Instagram/@ginakirschenheiter
Really, this beautiful mothering moment, once shared, did not rock the world of any other parent. Kirschenheiter tried to humorously bring to life in her post the nearly impossible task of really getting one of her teenagers to leave the screen behind and go outside to get some fresh air. The post hit home for thousands of parents faced with this contemporary dilemma.
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In the short, quite funny clip, Kirschenheiter is a guide in Nature. She points out simple things outdoors to her children, who appear thoroughly unimpressed with her unpatronizing explanations. “Look at this, you see this? This is outdoors,” she says, gesturing grandly around her. “And look at that. That’s the sky.” Figure, it even points to one of the kids: “What’s that there? Grace. That’s right. Neal down and rub it.” Ah, this very one captures how absurd it is to pitch fresh air and sunshine to a generation glued to technology. The caption she had put was “The struggle is real!!” followed by hashtags like #momlife and #teenagers.
Suddenly, comments started to pour in with rapid-fire speed. Kirschenheiter had just hit that very parental nerve. What followed were some of the best comments–sincere statements of solidarity: “Everyday struggle as a parent lol,” said one; “Exactly same w my nephew his technology lol,” added another, talking about how this is not a parent and child thing but a big generational shift.
Others showed their thanks, thanking Gina for the daily laugh. “I love when I’m having a shitty day and you pop up on my feed to make me laugh,” one fan said. “I really enjoy your posts,” another commented, to which Kirschenheiter replied warmly, “Ty!❤️.” This engagement was proof of how strong a community exists through her content for comedic relief.
Humor had crept into the teaching realm. Another hilarious commentary came from a fourth-grade teacher saying, “I am a 4th grade teacher and we have no technology recess. We enjoy nature. They look like they are all on an episode of Lost!” Kirschenheiter found it hilarious and responded with multiple crying-laughing emojis. One person then came up with an even funnier one: “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume they don’t know what playing Manhunt or building a fort are 😂😂,” which incited a witty back-and-forth where Gina joked that her kids would only build a fort if they could do it on Grow Garden.
The video was considered in many ways as an excellent display of the actress’s dedication to parenting. Comments started pouring in, calling Gina an “Awesome Mom!!” and saying, “I bet you’re the best Mom.” “Can I hire you to drag mine outside too??” one person asked, half in jest, half in earnest. It’s proof that while her methods are funny, most people seriously respect them.
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At some point, Gina‘s post transcended laughter. In this way, parents began sharing their own stories and frustrations, thus sharing one parent’s plight with many others. It is already a hilarious battle just trying to get kids out to play in the age of screens, and Kirschenheiter is going out with flair and a great sense of humor. Her content often features collaborations, like her Staples back-to-school ad with Emily Simpson.
