An unusually early morning sets the tone as Damien and Bianca begin waking four school-age children, preparing lunches, checking outfits and adjusting to DJ entering middle school while Aila starts kindergarten. The strongest material comes from these ordinary transitions: tired parents, reluctant wake-ups, last-minute clothing changes and the realization that several children are moving into noticeably different stages at once. Those details give the vlog a recognizable family rhythm before the more performative teasing takes over.
DJ’s first middle-school morning receives the most attention, and his changing outfit, wrinkled shirt, chain, shoes and haircut become an extended running concern. Damien’s repeated warnings about looking “wrinkled” are exaggerated for comedy, but the sequence also captures how much significance families can attach to appearance on a first day. The constant revisions do become repetitive, however, especially when similar conversations about shirts, shoes and presentation continue well past the point where the joke has landed.
Nova and Aila’s preparations provide a warmer counterbalance. Their coordinated hairstyles, first-day outfits and newly arranged room give Bianca room to discuss the work that went into getting them ready, including the time spent washing, drying and styling their hair. Aila beginning kindergarten supplies a genuine milestone, and moments such as her having slept beside Nova because she was scared reveal more personality than the louder jokes surrounding the morning routine.
The family’s interactions are energetic but often extremely repetitive. Tooth brushing, tongue brushing, lotion, perfume, ironing, shoe choices and packed lunches are each revisited several times, while Damien repeatedly asks the children variations of whether they are nervous, excited or ready. That conversational style may suit viewers who enjoy an unfiltered family-vlog atmosphere, but it stretches relatively simple events into a lengthy sequence and leaves little sense of progression until everyone finally reaches school.
Once the children return home, the vlog has an opportunity to explore their actual first-day experiences, but most of those conversations remain brief. DJ and Kyrie simply describe school as good, Nova cannot immediately recall what she learned, and Aila mentions another child pushing her. Damien appropriately tells Aila to inform a teacher if someone puts hands on her, but the moment quickly gives way to questions about whether the girls talked to boys.
That emphasis exposes the central weakness of the title and presentation. Despite the promise of Nova and Aila meeting new crushes, neither girl actually describes having a crush, exchanging a number or developing a romantic interest. Damien repeatedly asks whether they spoke to boys and jokes about Nova not having a boyfriend until she is 50, creating a crush narrative largely through parental teasing rather than anything the children themselves report. As a result, the title substantially oversells what happens.
The closing stretch returns to low-stakes household activity, including the children showing their first-day squishies, DJ displaying items from his backpack and the family preparing burgers. These scenes preserve the casual domestic appeal of the channel, but they also underline that the vlog is fundamentally about first-day family logistics rather than the romantic storyline advertised. Viewers invested in the family may still enjoy the milestone and sibling interactions, though tighter editing and a title more faithful to the actual events would make the installment considerably stronger.
Pros
- DJ beginning middle school and Aila starting kindergarten provide genuine family milestones around which the morning naturally revolves.
- Nova and Aila’s hairstyles, outfits and bedroom details add specific preparation moments rather than reducing the first day entirely to school-drop-off footage.
- The children’s different reactions to waking up, getting ready and returning home give the family interactions an unscripted, everyday quality.
- Damien’s response to Aila saying another child pushed her gives her a clear and sensible instruction to tell a teacher if it happens again.
- The gradual movement from dark, early-morning preparation through school drop-off and the children’s return creates an easy-to-follow day-in-the-life structure.
Cons
- The advertised crush storyline is not supported by the events shown, as neither Nova nor Aila actually reports having a new crush.
- Repeated questions about boys and dating impose a romantic angle onto very young children who mostly describe ordinary first-day experiences.
- Outfit changes, ironing, tooth brushing, tongue brushing and appearance jokes are repeated enough to slow the morning considerably.
- The post-school conversations are surprisingly shallow, leaving little detail about what the children actually experienced or learned during their first day.
- Damien repeatedly asks similar questions and extends recurring jokes such as the “wrinkle man” routine beyond their most effective point.
The family’s real milestones—especially a first day of middle school and kindergarten—provide enough warmth and activity to carry an enjoyable back-to-school vlog without additional manufactured stakes. Unfortunately, the repeated crush teasing and misleading romantic framing distract from the more authentic family moments that actually make the day interesting. A tighter edit and greater focus on the children’s genuine first-day experiences would have produced a more satisfying installment.
