AIBU to think parents should stop emailing school about everything?

[Teachingiscrazy]

I know the government are attempting to try and stop the rudeness from parents which I totally agree with but also, I really think parents need to stop involving school in everything.
This week , my friend was chatting over dinner saying her year 8 son wanted to try art club but he was worried he would be the only boy and he was nervous about finding the room. At dinner my friend said she had emailed the teacher so the teacher could find him, have a chat and reassure. This is for a lunchtime art club!
Surely just talk it through with your child yourself and give him some coping skills ! That poor teacher now has another job, an email to reply to, a child's emotional resilience to manage , all for a club they are running in their lunchtime . I've had parents email me to ask me to talk to their child as they won't brush their teeth at night, could I go and meet their child at the end of the corridor as they find the corridor overwhelming (presumably I leave the other 25 kids in the room) I've had parental emails over the smallest of things that parents could do. GGRR rant over
Ps before we do MN bingo. No ND in these examples

I agree with you your examples are obviously crazy.

But while we're at it please can the school stop with the million emails to parents. I get an email if it's raining to say be careful on the way to school, an email for every cancelled club, an email for all the bagillion school 'fun' days, an email to advertise X or y club.

It's about 4 a day. Sometimes they send something important so you can't just ignore.

It works both ways!!

I was with you until this one which shows a startling lack of care for your students or understanding of humans. I'm sure if a parent with a child self harming said 'what are you going to do' (and I don't really believe they did) they meant 'help me'.

Sorry but you actually do sound like you don't have any empathy. Saying 'Mumsnet teacher bingo" just reinforces that as well. I have opinions about teachers that I don't spray all over Mumsnet because I realise that teachers are a diverse group of human beings and are not all self important and moany. Just do your job like the rest of us, not my problem you picked a job you don't like.

Even with a diagnosis, it isn't schools job to make kids brush their teeth/develop bravery etc etc

Yeah this thread has definitely made me realise that!

No, I have empathy. This situation I have missed out the middle bit, all our usual safeguarding would kick in. The point I was making was parents often would not do the one thing that they needed to (GP)

The dental service used to come into schools and toothbrushing was part of the school day.

The Government disagree with you because they're bringing it back for some parts of the country

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

The dental service used to come into schools and toothbrushing was part of the school day.

The Government disagree with you because they're bringing it back for some parts of the country

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

@Lougle Do you believe it is the role of a teacher to help children brush their teeth?

As a secondary English teacher I completely disagree with this. I taught on average 150 pupils in an average year. Can you imagine how many emails I would have to answer? I'm now retired but very glad the school didn't routinely give out email addresses.

It's definitely an activity that needs to be taught. It is linked to personal, social and emotional development, which is a domain in the EYFS. I think that ideally, it should be parents who promote good dental hygiene, but in areas where there is generational deprivation, I can see why a school might be the best place to ensure that children have that routine in their life.

Yes by a dental service NOT a teacher
Also I'm secondary , so the government definitely doesn't disagree with me. If you as a parent haven't taught your child to brush their teeth by the time they are 11 I'm sorry, that's embarassing

That does seem excessive, but at primary level knowing about a cancelled club is quite important, as it means I need to pick DD up at 3 not 4. Even for secondary age DS who makes his own way home, I like to know when to expect him. Plus his school has quite a wide catchment, so quite a few children do get picked up (they're also not allowed phones in school so can't arrange that themselves).

This was raised as an initiative as our area apparently had one of the poorest levels of tooth care.
We refused to do it and pointed out that this was a parental responsibility. It was dropped.

Our school doesn't send out loads of emails. At the start of the term the head sends one out with all the dates for events and each class sends its own newsletter outlining what the children will be learning that term. That's about it.

@Lougle Agree to a point.
However, my biggest concern here is that this will be yet another thing to add to the list of already overwhelming "to dos" for teachers and support staff.
Not a wise move when there is already such a dire teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

You are so right. Parents have no idea of the workload of teachers. It’s time they realised their little darling isn’t the only one in the school.

Sure, but they do seem to cancel them at the drop of a hat, and it does make you wonder how schools managed before email.

I feel very old...

I think this just another facet of the Entitlement Generattion and Isnt my Child really different, special and wonderful;

.... and the only pupil in the class 🙄

Update : I've had two parental emails this week asking for exact details of what goes on in my lunchtime club as their child is 'weighing up' if they want to come or child needs to know exactly what it will be like. This is after a poster I'm school, emailed to parents and it being on the school bulletin board (online)

If you've had two emails, it's likely that you haven't communicated what is important for people to know? Two parents have read the email, seen the poster, and still aren't sure what it's about.

In my experience, you can communicate the right info a million times but someone will still be asking for the info.

the class WhatsApp is full of "when is the school trip? Wha days are PE? What are they doing for comic relief?"

OH MY GOD USE THE EMAIL SEARCH FUNCTION FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

And surely the kid could just go to the club and find out what it's about and then if they dont like it they can just not go again?

As I tell my kids "if you never go, you'll never know"

OP is a secondary school teacher. If the children aren’t sure they can ask her or they can go to the lunch club and see what it’s like. That’s what those children’s parents should be telling them. When are these children going to develop some nous and independence?

The emails are unnecessary and a waste of time. Even if she taught in primary that would be the case.

Always the same parents too. You’d think they’d learn. But no. 6 years in the school app is a closed book to them.

Schools are not parents. Too many parents rely on the state to do basic parenting.