Teachers: what makes the perfect parent?

[Campaspe]

Just wondered really. If you've got a child in infant school in a perfect world(!), how would that parent behave? What's important? How should parents communicate with the school? How involved do you want them to be? What should we be doing with our children at home to support their learning? How should we raise concerns?

And maybe, even more importantly, what are the things that parents do that really piss you off?

Provide breakfast after a good night's sleep, take an interest, hear them read, make sure they do their homework (help them with it if you have the time), support the school rules, encourage them to be as independent as possible, make an appointment to discuss concerns rather than trying to do it at register/handover time, trust that I do my very best for your child.

'Be interesting to hear more about the things that parents do that are absolute no-nos.'

Cross-posted.

Am relieved to say I do all the things listed here, even though I am far from being a perfect parent and often think I "wing it" IYKWIM. Just find it sad that the teachers who have replied have said things that should just be part of basic childcare anyway, such as a reasonable diet and a good night's sleep. Again, just sad that these things cannot be taken as read.

Yes, it really is as basic as that. Nothing to do with whether a parent is overweight, wearing a track-suit or feeding their children a MaccyD once a week.
Or if they can afford to pay for a trip, or the proper uniform..

One who realities their child isn't always perfect

"teacherwith2kids serious respect to you, your school sounds challenging to put it mildly. "

It's actually rather a 'normal' village primary, definitely somewhere you would drive by and say 'ahhhh' not 'eeeeek'. 'Good' Ofsted, C of E, all the rest.

It just shows what goes on almost everywhere, below the surface, in the lives of anything from a tiny minority to a large majority of children.

No sleep, and actual abuse, are things I can't 'undo' for a child. Happy to feed them, clothe them, take them on trips for free, talk to them, read to them, put them in the daily company of adults who show them affection - all those I can do. We have even been known to collect children from home on occasion. But I can't provide a night's sleep, and I can't 'undo' actual harm (physical, sexual, emotional) that has been done.

teacherwith2kids, I remember feeling like that when I was teaching. I just wanted to take some of them home, give them a good meal, a hot bath, listen to them, read them a story and tuck them into bed. One child said he didn't have a pencil at home to do his homework with :(

Mine used to bring back reading books marked with mattress springs, it was the only way they could keep the book safe from smaller siblings ripping it or scribbling on it. No space of their own, not even a bed of their own.

Woffling, that's heartbreaking. It really is.