Difficult Parent

[Tiredofdrama]

How does your school deal with difficult parents?
There is a mum who creates issues with every situation, whether it be her child complaining to her about something another child has done, or a member of staff. She raises issues at drop off, pick up or by email, these are usually non-issues, being made into
a bigger issue.

She is someone who thrives on drama, so no solution offered ever works for her, and it’s something everyday. Is there a way to stop this?

According to the head of psychology at DD’s school, difficult parents are deeply distressed, and it’s necessary to listen to their story, without trying to refute it.

Oh FFS! 🙄 Most are just entitled arseholes!
OP, your SLT should be supporting you. I remember a similar parent who was an absolute pain in the arse, she even came to parents’ evening with excel charts outlining her son’s progress and enjoyment of each subject compared to the year before. SLT arranged a meeting and told her firmly but politely that she had to trust staff and that her behaviour was becoming unacceptable. She was told that if she didn’t feel the school was the right setting for her son then she should consider sending him elsewhere. She took the hint and stopped.

This was the former principal educational psychologist in a LA, and he’d worked in Tier 4 CAMHS.

What are your qualifications and experience as a psychologist?

@BlueandWhitePorcelain what are your qualifications and experience as a teacher? Are you a current classroom practitioner?

A great headteacher of mine who very recently retired - a great loss to education - used to say to difficult parents "We are a successful school, with great results. If you don't like what we do here, send your child elsewhere. Have a good evening. I think we are done," he used to say so strongly.

Most then shut up and kept their child in the school, a few moved their child, then regretted it. Nonetheless, he had our back and if parents didn't like it, they knew what choice they had. Not many Heads like him left unfortunately.

The ones who suddenly shut up, were just put in their place, and realised they would get nowhere. Parents like this are just being entitled idiots, trying their luck in a system that is full of excuses for their naughty kids being rude and entitled.

There is a notorious parent at my school who is rude, demanding and entitled. After a very unpleasant run-in with her, I declined to speak to her at parents' evening unless a member of the SLT was also present. The Head hated me for requesting* *this, and asked multiple times whether I was sure, but I insisted. Unsurprisingly, the obnoxious parent behaved perfectly.

Not sure why the asterisks are there!

@BlueandWhitePorcelain
‘Former principal educational psychologist’ and he’s now working as a teacher on less than half the wage? I don’t need educational psychology experience and qualifications to see why he’s no longer in that role… 😂
You clearly don’t have a clue about what it’s like to be a teacher and have to deal with nightmare parents if you can’t see how ridiculous this sounds!
I’m assuming you’re one of these and he’s told you this to make you feel better about it?
Are you also suggesting that just because someone is a psychologist that they can’t be shit at their jobs or come up with batshit theories?