A Bad Report.
Bad reports coming from outside the home are out of your control but how you handle it can make a difference.
If it is a bad phone call from school or from a teacher conference, be polite, listen very carefully to what they tell you and what advice they may have for you. Think of all the things you are trying to teach your son and remember to do them yourself.
However, until you hear your son’s version you only have one view. Let him tell his side of the story. Do not interrupt him. Let him finish. Then praise him for his honesty or question him on why his story appears to differ from that of his teacher.
Your son will not always meet the expectations of others. This can be a challenging time for both of you. He needs to know that you love him even when he does not meet the expectations of others. This is a learning experience for him and a teachable moment for you.
Little boys are known to be fidgety in class and rather noisy when they are walking down the hall. Having been a teacher myself, I know this behavior is often disruptive to the class and annoying to teachers but it is not a character flaw.
Your son is not the first one to exhibit this behavior and he won’t be the last. However, if age appropriate, help him to see the picture from the teacher’s point of view.
If this is the first bad report. Take it seriously, but let him know that tomorrow is a new day with a new beginning. Make a plan together on how to remedy the situation. Let him know he has an ally and a supporter who believes in him but one who expects to hear a better report the next time.
There you go. Another lesson for today. Now, go and love your son in your own special way. Some days are long but, trust me, the years will just disappear.
Love,
MarnaKay
Boys 