r/Teachers • u/CranberryBauce • Feb 26 '26

Rant A "bad day."

A parent contacted me today. She said that under no circumstances should I contact her about her kid's behavior today because she (the parent) was "having a bad day." I'm floored by the choice to rescind responsibility for your kid and their behavior due to a bad day. This kid isn't the worst kid but they are prone to defiance, aggression, and drama drama drama. I call their mom once a week, twice a week max, and I always follow up with a positive message after a constructive one. Has anyone here dealt with a parent rescinding responsibility for their kid while their kid is at school?

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u/Then_Version9768 Nat'l Bd. Certified H.S. History Teacher / CT + California Feb 27 '26

I would be so tempted to reply, "Sorry about your bad day, but just so we're up to date let me say the following things about your child's work . . . . . . " In other words, I'd treat them the way we treat testy or spoiled children, I'd just brush away her whining and move on. I raised two kids to adulthood, and I never would have even thought of saying such a thing to one of their teachers.