Boy!  Does that describe parents these days.  You often can tell what the parents will be like when you have a student in your class who causes problems.  Not always, but usually.  Here's one tale:

We have a student who shuts down every time someone gives her positive feedback.  She just quits and starts acting out.  Mom is at school every single morning complaining about something, yelling at teachers and blaming someone for something.  Now, if you tell the child to "get to work" or in any way criticize her she gets worse and  her mom comes unglued on you.  Is it any wonder the child is like this?  Mom must be a total lunitic!  What kind of person is raising this child.

Last year I had a little boy I like to call Dennis the Menace.  He was a menace.  He caused more problems than any other 30 kids combined.  He was a terror.  He was a bully and a rotter.  His mom came to see me and it was all my fault.  He never had these problems before.  He was an angel in his last school.  I contacted the old school and he had been that way since kindergarten!  He was moved out of our district this year.  The neighbors actually came to me to see what I could do about this child terrorizing their neighborhood and tearing up their yards.  I blogged about this before.  Who is kidding whom?  Who the heck is running that house?  Not Mom and Dad, that is for sure.  The neighbors are just glad he is gone.

I had another student last year whose mom emailed me in TXT style and TOLD me what to teach her son every day.  She wanted me to tutor him before school, (I had duty) and at lunch (Give me a break) and after school from 3:00 to 5:00 when she would come pick him up.  (Not gonna happen)  The child is an okay average student.  He will never be an "A" student.  He will be lucky to pass if he keeps letting his mom do this to him.  She actually tells him he is NOT smart.  So, why does she expect A's? 

What is going on?  Parents are forgetting to raise their children and then they want the teachers to do it but only THEIR way.  When you have 30 kids, that is a real challenge.  I don't let kids get away with much and the parents apparantly do.  So, I doubt we will agree on how best to raise their kids.

I think it is time for parents to get a grip and start thinking about what they are doing to their kids by getting involved in a negative way.  Sugar is easier to suck down than vinegar.  They are dishing out vinegar for their kids and teachers and it will backfire if they don't quit.

I have already suggested we just take the kids away at birth and raise them in schools, but I really don't want to babysit anymore.  There are positive parent programs out there but I doubt these parents are interested.