Elementary principals tell parents this:
- Know what you’re getting into by becoming parents!
- How important it is to take an interest in your child.
- Take the time to care!
- Love ’em!
- Love them enough to let them hate you sometimes (when you have to take an unpopular stand in their best interest).
- Nobody trains us to be parents.
- You have the right and the responsibility to come in to school to make sure schools are doing the best possible job.
- If you have concerns, talk to the school first before going to the community.
- Stand beside your child, not in front or behind them (help them face life’s challenges with you at their side).
- Listen. Draw them out.
- Before reacting to what your child says about school, share the information with the school and the teacher. Listen to the school and teacher and work with the school and teacher and child to the child’s benefit.
- When the school and parent are not in agreement, the child loses.
- Volunteer some time at school. Spend one hour to involve yourself with the school program. It will help you to become familiar with the school. Share your skills.
- Point out to your child when he/she is doing something right. Don’t stress when they do something wrong.
- Don’t put children down. If you look for what the child is doing right, you won’t have time to see the things he is doing wrong.
- Support your school. Parents and schools must work together.
- Visit your child’s school.
- Two-way communication between home and school is critically important.