Can we talk about rude parents?

[Kyoko]

I know it's not very nice to talk about the parents. I know we have to be supportive for the kids, etc....
But since I am a school social worker / attendance person / residency person, people often gets angry for no reason, and say some super rude things to me.
Do you have rude parents in your school?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I work in an inner city school, so we rarely see the parents. When we do it is because junior did something wrong and was suspended. Back to school night, I am lucky if I see 5 parents.

[Kyoko]

Someone left me a message because her kid got a truancy letter from me. After she ramp and rave, she said
" And Don't have a nice day! "

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Then you have to wonder how the kids will turn out. Try to not allow someone to bring you down to their level. Keep a smile on your face and say, "Well you HAVE a nice day." Then let it go. You can't change others, just yourself.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am a little isolated being an RSP teacher. My contact with parents is as a team usually. I make sure the parents know that we all have the child's best interests as our goal. Usually we are on the "same side" because we want to do the best thing for the student. I am also lucky that if I have a problem, I have a special ed. team, principal who have backed me up so far, and a district person - a program specialist, who attends meetings where major problems are anticipated. Parents can be rude sometimes, and I know it is hard not to be rude back but I try because I know that when I screw up, it usually comes back to haunt me.

[Kyoko]

May be it is MY school district.... But people are really rude. Once this dad told me to go back to my f...ing country... :-O
Or when we asked for the current utility bill for the proof of residency, they will fax it to you with a note saying " Pay this while you are at it!!" and stuff like that. It's amazing.....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would tell those parents that I would be glad to pay their utility bill, if they paid mine!!! Then I would be able to run the air conditioner!!! LOL

[Lynda Kamrath]

That's too bad, but I am not surprised. How did these parents become so rude? But, they are everywhere these days. REspect is sorely lacking. And what can you expect from kids raised in this environment? I had a 6th grade girl who used the F word with teachers all the time. Her parting words were sometimes F you when she left class. I would just shake my head and explain to the other students that she did not have any personal control and we should all feel sorry for her. Nobody felt that that was funny or an appropriate model for behavior.