How to Handle Difficult Parents

 

 How to Handle Difficult Parents

Suzanne Capek Tingley

September 2006

From Shelfari:

"Be it "Pinocchio's Mom," who thinks her child never lies, the "Caped Crusader," who will stop at nothing to have a book eliminated from the curriculum, or the "Helicopter Mom," who hovers and swoops in to protect her child from disappointment, this humorous handbook helps educators deal with impossible parents. Each chapter features a hilarious caricature that illuminates common parent anxieties followed by specific, practical methods for addressing the problem. Easily implemented advice on face-to-face confrontations helps teachers approach each conflict with the confidence to get their point across and the composure to keep their professional principles intact."

I sat down and read this book in one sitting.  I couldn't put it down!  The caricatures of  parents I have dealt with made me laugh out loud, but the advice for handling them was invaluable and  really kept me reading for much longer than I had planned.  Like I've said before, I  tend to shy away from professional books unless they have tons of practical advice from real teachers - and this does just that.  Ms. Tingley is a former teacher, administrator and now a superintendent.  Some of the advice is common sense, but who can't use a reminder that common sense sometimes must prevail?  I will keep this book for years as a refresher and resource to have on hand when I need it.