School Parents

This topic is a crucial one that often goes unaddressed, yet it's vital for both parents and teachers. While some readers may find honesty uncomfortable (it's a hard pill to swallow), it's important to acknowledge these challenges. By recognising and addressing these issues, we can empower ourselves to make positive changes that will benefit our children and their experiences at school.

I have observed enough at the school gate and parent events, and the number one problem with school kids is entitled parents. The younger generations suffer from an increasing epidemic of inherited entitlement and spoiled behaviour. Regarding my kid, I can genuinely admit that many of the issues stem from children seeing other kids with something, and they immediately want it. This can be particularly hard at school when other kids have different cool Nike trainers or Jordan clothes. I try to teach my kid to be grateful for what he has (despite having everything he wants or needs). I do this by rewarding positive behaviour, acts of kindness, and mindfulness. I have also noticed a trend with parents trying to influence who their kids should be friends with. I believe that we as parents can and should do what we can to teach our kids kinder actions, which helps them think about others instead of trying to foster bullying. We can do this to help overcome that sense of entitlement in kids. I also believe that teachers should remember that they are educators, which doesn’t always mean teaching math, science, and English. Our children are in their care, and I would hope that they are trying to teach them to be responsible, capable, and kind human beings, no matter what the subject or matter is.

Being a teacher is no easy task. Having the patience to manage a classroom full of children all day, along with some, not all, difficult parents is definitely not for the faint of heart. While you might assume that working with the students is the most challenging part of the job, for many teachers, it's fantastic; however, dealing with parents is actually 100 times more challenging. We are all familiar with the various parenting styles described by terms such as helicopter parents, snowplough parents, overprotective parents, and nervous parents.. by far; the worst are entitled parents.

I’m happy that the teacher and pupil relationship is very positive and should always remain that way. Some parents enjoy being more involved in their child's daily school life, taking on responsibilities like representing the school class in some way or another, participating in school trips and getting involved in charity work for the school. However, this increased involvement can become overwhelming for some parents and teachers. Not saying this happens in every school or for every parent.

Parents today are contributing to the problems that pupils face. There is a blurring of boundaries between parents and children, such as parents wanting to choose their children's friends and teaching them negative behaviour towards other peers. I say this because a lot of kids mimic their parents. At the same time, this practice involves parents trying to get into the popular mum groups (I call it the playground politics). This has worsened many tensions among kids and their friendships. Parents also get involved in their kids' conflicts and ostracise other parents for mishaps. I tend to avoid dramas and be a ghost mum in the corner while observing all the behaviours around school life.

Is it worth considering whether parents’ school experiences shape how they handle their children’s challenges?? This question invites us to reflect on the potential influence of our past on our present. It's a reminder that our actions and attitudes can have a profound impact on our children's experiences, and it's a key factor in understanding and addressing issues like bullying.

Parental relationships are often influenced by money and social status both in private and public schools; hard pill to swallow, isn't it! It is common to observe preferential treatment given to parents with higher status, as they tend to associate more closely with other successful individuals. These parents may avoid arranging playdates with those from different social circles, which can have a negative impact on their children. This behaviour can limit children's opportunities to form genuine connections and experience a natural gravitation towards diverse friendships.

I am concerned that some children may lack the confidence to handle a privileged classmate who is the child of a high-status parent. This can lead to a negative experience for peers at school. It is disheartening to witness such behaviour from parents. Another issue is that teachers often try to help but struggle to support their students effectively. Even the most experienced teachers may quail when faced with an angry, sometimes abusive parent. This may also be due to the parents' influence or because teachers turn a blind eye to the situation. Many parents end up not speaking up because the simple reason is that they fear being ostracised, too. Many students end up changing schools because their current school doesn't provide support or because their parents refuse to acknowledge their child's behaviour. (This is known as inherited entitlement) Other articles mention how hard it can be and the reasons. This Particular article from the US I found astonishing! Mumsnet always show genuine questions and answers, they are a good source of help.

This article explains how bad parental behaviour and high expectations can impact teachers in private school settings.