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The Angry Parent
May 30, 2013
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
-Albert Einstein
-Albert Einstein
- When confronted with an irate parent, regardless of the cause, just listen at first. Don't defend yourself, even if the parent is clearly misguided or misinformed. Remember that challenging the person only fuels the fire of anger. Listen intently and sympathetically.
- Apologize. Even if the problem was not your fault, you can apologize for the anguish that the misunderstanding caused.... In many cases this is all the parent is looking for.
- Tell the parent that you will do what you can to ease her concern. If you need more information or advice about the problem, tell her what you will do and when you will get back to her.
- When the immediate anger has cooled, you may be able to offer an explanation or rationale — your side of the story. Be aware, however, that some people are not interested in reason. If this is the case, empathize with their concern and say what you have done to make sure this problem will not happen again.
Find solutions quickly and easily! This updated classic offers hundreds of tested solutions for the tricky problems, questions, and concerns that are part of every early childhood teacher's day. New topics include:
- Working with English-language learners
- Helping children deal with traumatic life events
- Assessment and accountability
- Working with mixed-age groups
- Using computers in the classroom
Each chapter also includes an updated resource list, as well as a list of web-based resources. For beginning and experienced teachers alike, this "how-to" book on classroom management is like having your own counselor in the classroom.
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Comments (4)
Displaying All 4 CommentsUniversity of Arizona
Tucson, AZ, United States
And sometimes....when the rant will not end...you calmly say, Mr. Null, Mr Null? can you hear me? Yes, Mr. Null, this conversation is no longer productive. We will talk about this tomorrow, but right now, I need to hang up. I appreciate your concern, and we will talk tomorrow. When should I call you?
Thank you....CLICK
City of San Jose
San Jose, California, United States
I agree with all but point #2 Apologize. Considering any liability issues that might arise from whatever event initiated the confrontation, apologizing (even for "the anguish that the misunderstanding caused") may be construed as admitting fault. An angry person may only hear the "sorry". I would advise to use words such as "I hear your concern" or "I want to resolve this with you".
International School of Dakar
Senegal
I'll never forget going to a child's home because the father was extremely angry about the taxi driver not walking up to the child's front door to pick up his child. (The child was enrolled in a therapeutic nursery school and the children were transported by contracted taxi cabs) The father felt that the white taxi driver was discriminating against his black family. As he raged against the driver, the father kept pounding his fist into his hand. Luckily I did have a good relationship with the parents. I gulped as I watched him pound his fist, thinking that he might just take a swing at me, when I said, "the taxi driver is only doing what I have ordered him to so--do not leave any child unattended in the cab when picking up other children. If you are angry, you need to be angry with me."
Daycare In Demand
Portsmouth, NH, United States
Great advice for dealing with any angry person in your path--not just parents!
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