" It ’s my opinion that the internet in universal has put many people in an robotlike ' defense ' mode . "
Recently, I decidedto ask teacherswhat parental cliques they see forming year after year, and they had some wiiiiild things to say. Here are some of the most interesting:
1.“In my school, I’ve noticed that a lot of the PTA parents are the parents of the ‘rich popular kids,’ and they often end up tipping a lot of odds in their kids’ favor, such as letting their kid switch classes, change lunches, and get good grades even if they didn’t do that well in school. It was awful.”
2.“The newest group of parents I’m seeing are is ‘we don’t parent’ parents. Their kids are not to be disciplined or corrected. Anything they do is deemed okay, regardless of how ridiculous.”
" They do n’t think rule are important at home so of course these kids have no construct of how to function in a community of 30 minor who all guess they are deserving of especial attention . render and call home ? proficient chance . Ask them to come in for a merging ? Nope . We are just constantly severalise we just do n’t ' get ' their kid . No , we get it : your nipper has no conception of having to share or be told NO . Every exclusive one of them wants a specific schedule or accommodations that work for them , and everyone else be imprecate . I ’m glad I only have three age go away , lol . "
— Anonymous
3.“These days, there are ALWAYS moms who make private Facebook groups posing as a group for ‘Ms. Smith’s Class’. They will say it’s to coordinate class parties, talk about homework, etc., but instead, it ALWAYS comes around to shit-talking the staff and nit-picking everything the school does.”
4.“There is definitely a contingent of ‘party’ moms and dads. Parents who still party like they’re in undergrad and document it all on social media. I mean, they all have kids, but where are those kids when their parents are hosting Beer Olympics? Grow up. Parents, you are setting a poor example. No elementary school child should ever see their dad do a keg stand.”
5.“I am not sure I know a clever name for it, but I have been dealing a lot with parents who demand my personal phone number and expect me to respond immediately to their every text and call, often expecting me to sacrifice the time I should be spending teaching to walk their child out of the building to them (ignoring school policies), or immediately respond to their every question, comment, or need.”
6.“High school teacher here. Parent group chats are a thing now and they’re the bane of my existence.”
7.“The avoiders, who don’t want to get involved or help with anything; the room moms, who help with parties and PTA; the buy-stuff parents, who send stuff as needed to help out; and the controlling PTA parents (and staff), who have been there a few years and don’t want new parents’ help or input and try to shut down anything they say or do. That last one really gets on my nerves, as we can all pitch in, and we all have ideas!”
8.“Therewillbe parents who naturally group together in friend groups, and they naturallywillcomplain about you. Personally, I’ve learned to manage it by being very hands-on and communicative from the beginning with parents about grades and behavior in the classroom, good and bad.”
" I ’m also a pretty strict instructor , and I demonstrate that at the starting time of the school year so people experience to expect it . If you ’re exacting but genial and stick to your prescript , people will care you . If you ’re squeamish but you humor the parent ' whims and demands at ALL , you are stressing yourself out for no reason and permit them treat you like a weakling . "
9.“I’m in my 40s, so I have been teaching for quite some time. The idea of ‘cliques’ certainly applies to parents; you have your PTA moms, soccer moms, etc., and in past years, some of those people may have been a bit pushy, but overall, things were fine…”
10.“There have always been parent cliques, but really, they’re not a big deal. I know that parents will make friends with other parents and form groups. I can see their cliques forming, but really, it has no bearing on me — I do my job, teach their kids, grade their homework, and go home.”
— Anonymous
11.“If I could say one thing, it would be: Parents, you are your child’s parent. You are not their friend.”
" Some of the things you need to do for them , like make them do their homework , taking aside their silver screen , or grounding them , will make them angry . You still ask to do those thing . When I , as a responsible grownup in their lives , take away their telephone set or make them do their prep , and you compromise my authority , it is risky for your nestling . "
— Robert , 43
12.“Types of parents: the Ghosts. Occasionally, a student lets slip something about them, but other than that, you have no proof they exist.”
“It-Takes-A-Village-ers: Any of the smallest events — like conferences or report card pickups — means that it’s not just mom and dad who come. It’s the aunties, the uncles, the grandparents, and possibly some cousins. Bring extra snacks.”
" The Karen : The parent who thinks they can tell you how to do your job because they once figure anAbbott Elementaryepisode .
The Haven’t - I - fancy - You - Before : This character of parent is fun for you , not for the student . Because prospect are , you know their parent to the point where you finger very well-fixed telling the parentexactlywhat ’s going on . Also , hazard are you ’ve discover that parent somewhere for age , like church or something , meaning that kid knows they ca n’t escape if they ’ve done anything wrong to you .
The Best acquaintance : The parent who think their kid is theirbest friend , or that they should be their kid ’s best protagonist and wo n’t do a goddamn affair to discipline them even if they say they will . "
13.“Coming from a millennial: Millennial parents are a different breed. I don’t understandwhyexactly, but they hardly ever do anything about their kids' misbehavior. I had a phone ban in my classroom, and a clique of moms literally paid me a visit because they claimed their childrenneededtheir phones in the classroom. Meanwhile, their kids' grades had already risen in the few weeks since I’d enacted the ban.”
14.“Parents, I’m begging you to be nice to us. There was a Facebook group for well-meaning parents at my school that was, unfortunately, overrun by weirdo parents who have too much free time and even made up weird conspiracy theories about us brainwashing their kids.”
15.And finally: “I think this is unique to me because I live in a very small town. My wife and I both work at a small private university in my state, so I am an educator, but I want to talk about our experience with other parents at my kids' school…”
Note : Some submissions have been edited for length / clarity .
