Wyoming Mom's Video of Daughter Ditching Class Goes Viral

The mother tells her teen daughter in the viral video, "Say, 'Hi, Facebook.'"

ByABC News
October 1, 2014, 11:53 AM

— -- Hell hath no fury like a single mother with three children who learns her daughter is ditching school, especially if that mother is active on Facebook.

Jeannie Crutchfield, 34, from Casper, Wyoming, learned that her daughter had been skipping class every day last week and decided to take action. A cashier at a convenience store, she typically works during the day, but lucky for her daughter, she happened to have some time off during school hours.

Crutchfield, armed with her cell phone video camera, showed up to the school of 14-year old Ricki. She taped her daughter walking around the school, and confronts the teen to ask her what she's doing.

"This is what happens when my daughter Rickilee Durrant can't act right at school...enjoy parents," Crutchfield's description of the video states on Facebook.

"As a single mom, I learned that I have to do double the work. I learned to improvise when it comes to my parenting," she told ABC News.

Since the three-minute video was posted to Facebook on Friday, more than 32,000 people have viewed it.

"When was I ditching, Mom?" her daughter asks her in the video.

"Every day this week," her mom says. "And I can show you."

When her daughter denies it, Crutchfield says, "Oh yeah. Oh, yes, Ricki. So guess what I'm doing, Ricki? We're going to hold hands and we're going to go to class together."

If My Child Marries Yours

Crutchfield told ABC News that since the video was posted online, her daughter's school attendance has been steady.

"Her attitude has changed. She was asked [by a friend] if she wanted to ditch school yesterday, and she told the person no. The thought of mom following her again wasn’t appealing," Crutchfield told ABC News.

"It just goes to show that my mom cares," Ricki told ABC affiliate KTWO.

Crutchfield told ABC News that she didn't expect the massive attention that the video has garnered.

"I was just trying to prove a point to my daughter," Crutchfield said, who added that other parents have been told that the school could do little to prevent student truancy.

"For the most part, I’ve had really positive comments from kids and parents alike, even teachers."

Crutchfield's oldest child, a son, and her youngest daughter have both found humor in the situation.

"As far as my youngest, she says she will never skip school ever," Crutchfield told ABC News.