Being “THAT,” Parent.

Being “THAT,” Parent

Being “THAT,” Parent.

Basically, being “THAT,” Parent is standing up, saying something when it isn’t your place, fighting for equality, standing up for your own rights, and the rights of kids. (It is kind of like being a “Karen,” “I have a coupon,” or “let me speak to the manager kind of person.”)

As I am writing this, I know I have been “THAT,” Parent. In many situations like the doctor’s office, the playground, and more often than I would like to admit. However, since this is about teaching and parenting let’s consider education.

The first time I got the being “THAT,” Parent, feeling was when my daughter did not get recommended for high school honors English. She was a great reader and enjoyed writing. Over the course of the year, I found out that she was sitting with her best friend in class. Her behavior and performance gave the teacher the impression that she did not deserve to be in honors. She was just immature, distracted, and hated the class. I discussed her behavior with her and helped her beef up her writing skills and she flourished in class.

I learned that my kid can really apply herself when she is behaving and in the right environment or not. I respect parents and know that we all have a good idea of what our kids are capable of. So all parents should be tireless advocates of our kid’s strengths and weaknesses. But also know how they act in certain situations.

Since I have so many kids I will tell more stories about how I became “THAT,” Parent, and what I learned from each one.