This Principal’s Back-to-School Message For Parents Is Too Important to Miss

5) Don’t judge a situation by just hearing your child’s side of the story.

If your child comes home and tells you about something that happened at school, don’t jump to conclusions until you’ve done a little investigation on your own. Making sure you have the full picture will help you in making a sound decision on how to proceed. If you find you have a legitimate concern, we want to help make it right. Please don’t slam your teacher in front of your child, even if you believe the teacher was wrong. This may give the student the impression that it is okay to be rude or disrespectful.

6) It’s okay to let your kids fail.

Middle school is a perfect time to practice failing. You’d be surprised how many parents do their children’s homework. When your children were learning to walk, you let them fall down so they could learn to pick themselves back up. If you step in every time your children forget to turn in a paper or fail a test, you are not allowing them to figure out for themselves how to get back up.

7) In most cases, there is no excuse for bad behavior.

One of the greatest problems facing schools today is general disrespect. This is the reason many wonderful teachers simply quit. It is important for parents to communicate to their children that it is NEVER okay to disrespect a teacher – even the ones you don’t like. There are times a student or parent will defend a behavior because of some situation or disability. It doesn’t help your child to excuse bad behavior. Kids know right from wrong as young as three years old. This is an incredible opportunity to practice self-control.

8) Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

We have an enormous number of resources at our disposal. We love it when we can be part of the solution. Also, most of us have been around thousands of kids for many years. We may have some ideas that other parents have found successful and we’d love to share with you. If your school administrators suggest further intervention or resources that might help your child, please listen to them. If they suggest bringing something up with your pediatrician, please do it. You can then use the information to make a wise decision regarding your child.

9) Sometimes even the best teachers and administrators blow it.

We might not be the person we strive to be day in and day out. There are times when exhaustion and our lack of patience come out at the wrong time. We need your understanding and forgiveness.

10) Your kid is exposed to more than you might think.

Research shows that kids as young as 8 years old are exposed to pornography and violence on computers and smart phones. Parents would be wise to control their child’s screen time. We are constantly dealing with the effects and impact of social media such as kids coming to school exhausted because they secretly stay up watching programs on phones. We also deal with issues that arise when a student posts something online that hurts someone else. Wise parents are not afraid to control and even take away their child’s phone or computer if it is interfering with school.

I wish I had this list when my sons were going through middle school. I’m grateful to all the truly caring and wonderful people who choose to work with kids each day.

Perhaps the most important thing that I heard from these educators is that they are not your adversaries, but your partners. They are a valuable resource and are willing to help kids and parents in any way they can. 

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority,
because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden,
for that would be of no benefit to you.
Hebrews 13:17


Pete Larson
Pete Larson
Pete Larson is the Executive Director of Family Fest Ministries in Bloomington, Minnesota. Family Fest seeks to strengthen families in the Christian Faith through week long and weekend retreats for families. Family Fest also has developed and leads the Marriage Booster Retreat for couples. Pete often speaks on marriage, parenting and families at family camps, men’s and women’s groups, conferences and retreats. Connect with Pete to learn more about Family Fest Ministries. Pete grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the 9th of fourteen children. He lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife, Lynn, and their sons, Dan and Tim. Contact Pete at Family Fest Ministries, and check out his writing at 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting. 

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