What teachers really want to tell parents.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally Posted by Just interested

Parents need to allow their children to fail, not always be 1st, not always win a prize and use this as a teachable moment. How to deal with the disappointments that come about with just living. Time will tell what will happen to these kids as they become adults but I see major disappointment about life in general.

In my classroom, students earn incentives for good behavior, perfect attendance & returning homework completed for a certain number of weeks in a row. I have a class treasure box that the kids can choose a prize from when they've earned their rewards. Many times I've gotten angry emails, letters and calls from parents furious because their child did not get one of the prizes in my class. From Day 1, I have told parents what my expectations are. I went over them again during Back to School Night. I am rapidly learning that many parents want their snowflake to be the exception to my rules. I don't think so. They can complain and whine to the principal all they want but I'm not changing my rules and expecations for anyone.

These helicopter parents need to get a clue. They want their kid to earn rewards without actually doing the work needed to earn them in the first place.