To be pissed off with parents who believe all rules should be bent for their little darlings?

[IAmLouisWalsh]

I am a teacher. In the last few weeks I have been told that some children in my school are allergic to their school uniform, suffer with extreme cold and so need to wear coats in class, have to keep jewellery on because it is sentimental, should be allowed to use staffroom facilities to microwave their own lunch....don't even start me on phones.

DH works with much older DCs - adults, essentially - and has put up with a whole range of shite from parents recently too, making excuses for why their (fully grown) offspring should take precedence over the needs of every one else.

Of the last 20 tales we have been told between us, I reckon 1 is true, 1 is half true and the rest are absolute bollocks.

Either front up and be honest about trying to bend the rules, or just fucking accept it.

Nightmare with year12 and year13 parents too. All the excuses under the sun with regards attendance, behaviour , motivation and achievement. It is always someone else's fault never the fault of the child. The parents say they have done all they can so what is the school doing about it! Honestly no wonder we have created a generation of kids who take no responsibility because we have parents who are quite frankly irresponsible!

The parents don't back the teachers up and the children know it, that's the problem. I don't know what the solution is. All respect has disappeared.

My mum used to write notes to get DBro out of doing rugby so he didn't injure his tennis arm before a match. It was probably unreasonable but one of his friends had been injured and had missed matches. He does earn his living from tennis now so maybe it was worth it.

I am sure the op is right in many cases but it's the same with so much in life, people think, oh it's just a little thing. They don't see the bigger picture. Things like speeding, not clearing up dog poo, bringing your 12yo to a 15 film. However there are notable exceptions and it's hard to draw the line sometimes.

SirBoob that is awful. What horrible people.

CheerfulYank I do the same job as you, all my staff who are in their 30s are the most entitled, lazy sods and the younger ones are the ones who seem to just get on with it, happy to take instruction, do the boring jobs, smile at customers etc. Not that that proves anything but interesting to hear someone else's experience.

The coats argument always gets me too. When I was at school, we had school fleeces (in addition to jumpers). Some teachers wouldnt let us wear them in class as "we didnt need them, it was warm enough". Well, for me, it wasnt warm enough, just as for some students, it was too warm, and so they were allowed to take their jumpers off and sit there in a shirt. If it was a non-uniform jumper I could understand the teachers POV more, but really - what reason would I have for wanting to wear a school fleece in class other than being cold!

Gangly despite your explanation, I still think that situation sounds more than a little bit ridiculous.

You should have a stronger head and senior management team.

When I was at school, we had school fleeces (in addition to jumpers). Some teachers wouldnt let us wear them in class as "we didnt need them, it was warm enough".

Yes, we have this at our school. We have uniform zip up fleeces, with short-sleeved polo shirts. The children are supposed to remove them in class, but if they're cold, then why shouldn't they be allowed to keep them on? No one has the right to tell another person how hot or cold they are

We also have it at high school, the head sends a text to parents telling them when their child is allowed to wear a uniform-issue coat to and from school.

My eldest is taking part in a school production and has been told she has to have an Indian design painted on her arms in henna. DD gets awful eczema so I've said she can't have it on. Not to be difficult, but because I don't want to subject my DD to painful itchy bleeding arms. Brown felt tip pen will do the same job without aggravating her eczema, but the teacher is insisting it has to be henna so we're now in a stand off.

I do support the school as much as I can, but stuff like the above makes no sense to me so I will question it

thebody - was the point about Head and SMT made to me?

I am SMT. Which is one of the reasons why I don't put up with it. And I'd love to meet a stronger head than mine!

No sorry just a general comment really. I work in a school and we can expect our head and SMT to back us up ic parents are completely unreasonable.

It must be bloody awful for some teachers if in effect they say one thing and the HT undermines them to save complaints from parents.

Definatly I am a parent who backs up the school. I love my kids far too much to spoil and pander to them which is what seems to be the case now.

Maryz - I don't agree with suspensions. I don't want them to miss more lessons. Detentions don't work either. All we can do is nag - just like the parents. Employers do contact us asking about attendance and sickness etc so I do warn students.

If the parents can't sort things what do they want me to do? Maybe I should drive around like a truancy patrol?

One parent called the Chancellor of a uni last year for an explanation as to why they had turned daughter down (she did not meet the offer grades)

Wonderful!

Love the micro and the lunch....... Suggest if the darling need it heated then please bring it down to school hot, suddenly things might change! Am food tech teacher and its once in a while I get asked.... Normally as I have 6 th formers not a problem. Jewellery is health and safety and uniform well its uni-form. Everyone looks the same...

Freddie frog

What about cheap long sleeved tshirts and henna on top

OMG, prickly, what an outrageous response from the Deputy! I hope you really went to town on them over that, and hope your DC is recovering now.

Gangly despite your explanation, I still think that situation sounds more than a little bit ridiculous.

Agreed, but it wasn't my rule and saved me a headache. Besides if we had let all the kids out regardless of how inappropriately they were dressed, a parent no doubt would have came in to complain about that too!

Gangly

The school I work in has a similar rule, but saying that children can't go outside unless they have wellies or snowboots isn't exactly a huge leap to make.i think that rule sounds ridiculous too, and I'm not surprised a parent complained at that.

Surely you just tell children that they have to have school shoes and something suitable for snow? Wellies aren't even the best thing to be wearing in snow because they are colder and involve the faff of extra socks!

I also find these rules about extra coats a bit ridiculous too. If a child can't do what they are supposed to be doing because their coat is too restrictive, then fine, make them take them off because its interfering with their learning.

But if it makes no difference, I don't see the problem. My reception class are encouraged to make heathy and responsible choices for themselves, and that includes whether they are hot or cold!

Fredstheteds. I think the teacher may spontaneously combust if I dared suggest a deviation from her costume ideas. I think stress levels are running a bit high at the moment. I'm helping out on the day so will be doing the make up and applying the henna so I'm leaving it until then. I have a brown liquid eye liner which I've tested on her arm so I'll just use that instead of the henna.

I'm just fed up with her constantly harping on at me about it, and pushing DD to let her 'just try a little bit'

The school I work in has a similar rule, but saying that children can't go outside unless they have wellies or snowboots isn't exactly a huge leap to make.

Yes but who's to say what counts as a snow boot? Where I work snow boot= fake uggs off the market.