The young parents of today need parenting. Parents who have left home as young adults with a rebellious attitude may not even be speaking with their own parents. They have lost their perception of right and wrong behaviors and sometimes even simple decisions are tough. It’s these parents that will try to bully you as the teacher and the school. They don’t have the ability to cooperate when they disagree and can wreak havoc on the school and your classroom. These parents need to be agreed with immediately. You heard right; agreed with. But, agree in principal, not with the content. Let them know that you can see things from their perspective, but work with them to see things from the same perspective. Instead of a tug of war, move to their side of the rope. Or better yet, let go of the rope. Ease into conversations with these parents and begin to lose your fear of being yelled at. Be an empathic listener, and don’t argue. They need to be taught, and you are going to do it.

Bench Notice

Since the writing of this tip things have gotten worse. My wife went to drop off a forgotten pair of glasses for our eight year old daughter a few weeks ago and wasn’t allowed in the school building. She was told to leave them on the table between the school entrance and the main office. It was like a bunker was set up. All visitors entering my daughter’s school are escorted through the school, including the parents who are known by school administration and teachers, like classroom mothers and the president of the PTA.  School shootings have prompted this and I agree that every precaution should be taken for the safety of our children.

I do believe though that the schools are fed up with angry and irate parents and will do what they can to keep them out of the school building. In doing so they are keeping everyone out and with the same brush tarring even the most cooperative parents. Do parents need parenting? Yes, some do. The ones that need it should get it. Until they get it place the restrictions where it needs to be; squarely on the parents who think they own the school and want to wreak havoc because of a poor test grade.