Imagine if teachers could speak freely to parents without any repercussions. Here are the candid thoughts of five courageous teachers:
- Read Bedtime Stories to Your Kids - Bedtime stories are essential for nurturing reading skills and empathy. An English teacher emphasized, “You should have read your kid bedtime stories and shouldn’t have stopped once the books had chapters.”
- Set Boundaries at Home - Establishing limits at home helps children behave better in school. One teacher advised, “Tell your kids no. Tell them no, often. It will not traumatize them.”
- Make the Tough Decisions - Teachers want to focus on teaching, not parenting. As one teacher put it, “You decide bedtime. You decide screen time. Children cannot make these choices yet because they are children. Many parents seem to think ‘gentle parenting’ means letting them make all the choices, and it just isn’t. Grown-ups have to be grown-ups and do the hard things so kids can be healthy, safe kids.”
- Raise Future Adults - "Stop babying your kids!” a teacher urged. “Teach them how to tie their shoes, say ‘please and thank you,’ and understand that they aren’t always right or in charge!”
- Laziness Starts at Home - Many students develop lazy habits and attitudes at home. A teacher noted, “We have exciting plans that keep us busy for 90-minute blocks [at school]. What does 90 minutes spent at home with your child look like?”