When Dealing With Your Child’s Teacher, How Much Is Too Much?

My freelance articles are the result of my developing a story idea and selling it to an editor or I’m assigned a story topic. I rarely turn down a story that an editor asks for, as the task of selling a piece is daunting. I spend much time in the sales and marketing venue and often am unable to convince editors to assign stories that I think are perfect. Two weeks ago, I was contacted by an editor of a new website. And she had a compelling story to assign. She wanted me to write an article providing advice for parents who want to forge the most positive relationships with their child’s teacher from the start. How can parents stay involved, yet not seem like they’re in helicopter mode? What situations do require intervention? What do teachers need most from parents in the way of support that leads to the best educational experience for their child? The result was this article, Best Parent/Teacher Relationships. The teachers I interviewed were grateful for the opportunity to share not only horror stories of what happens when parents overstep the appropriate boundaries, but also ways for them to intervene most helpfully. The takeaway: empower your children to advocate for themselves. In this era of many parents who probe every aspect of their children’s lives and often intervene to rescue them, it’s a valuable message.