parents' evening

[Crackle]

I've been to my last parents evening. I won't miss it, nor presentation nights and I'm looking forward to the ending of the school epistles that ping into my inbox.

There have been some memorable moments. Miss maths teachers brunette phase, the French teacher on learning that son2 was not continuing French delivering a speech about how he was locked in the submarine until the end of term whether he liked it or not. The chemistry teacher delivering the same impenetrable garbage about son2 as son1 with a year in between speeches, the nodding support teacher who never said anything, the imploring arts teacher who was clearly short of pupils for AS, the two sports teachers who it was impossible to find and who both looked like Hale and Pace and gave both mine low grades whilst failing to realize one was a County level Badminton player and both were high level competitive climbers but it didn't matter, rugby did and the few, like there always is, who made a defining difference: Adios parents evening, tick, done that, onwards and upwards until we achieve independent orbit.

 

[screenman]

THe getting stressed by it is most certainly my issue - but I'm sure I'm not alone.
I don't deal well with being late, and I get quite annoyed when other people make me late, or I'm late because things are out of my control -which is what tends to happen. I don't like not knowing where I'm supposed to be either, and you can't plan for these things so the control freak in me gets a bit worked up.
Basically I rush home from work knowing I have to rush tea in order to be back out on time, then have to deal with either a 21/2 mile walk and a cold, complaining child or try to judge the bus times, which inevitably means standing in the cold at a bus stop for 15 minutes.
Then the appointments we have over run, or are delayed, or I can't actually run from one end of the building to the other in time to make the appointments. THen I get stressed and annoyed some more. Then it's late and we're tired and I'm hungry, becaue I didn't have time to eat the tea I made, and it can take an hour to get home again.
I'm sure it all goes far more smoothly for other people, but I get stressed by it.


What if you didn't get even that one thing of use? Would it be a waste of time then?
My children understand my reluctance to go and are fully supported in other ways and know I am interested in their schooling so no need to worry about "inevitable consequences" whatever those may be.


Maybe, like me, they realised after the first two it was a waste of time going ;-)

No they could not be bothered with me, I was very much an unwanted child who came along much to late in their life.

 

[Dan B]

erm isn't part of parents evening not just for you as parents to take an interest in your child but also to show your child you take an interest in them?

Depending on your circumstances obviously, but you could show that interest by spending the time with your child instead

 

[Cheddar George]

Unless there is a specific issue raised in the school report they are not worth it.

Infant school was okay as there was only one teacher, although i resented having to have a serious conversation on a tiny chair with my arse 6 inches from the floor and my knees up by my ears like a praying mantis.

 

[summerdays]

I ended up dealing with my waiting stress by playing sudoku on my phone so I could ignore my stress at seemingly being overlooked for my turn.... once you were late, if they then realised you were now there then you went back to the top of the queue.

Last parents evening the French teacher checked he didn't want to continue with French into 6th form, and then asked after the child that had done 6th form with him. He then changed topic and said he had something he had been meaning to say, and said he had spotted us on the M6 last summer at a service station! He's always been a little oddball in approach!

 

[Nigeyy]

Yeah, teenagers love that! (and btw spending time with your kids and going to parents evening aren't necessarily mutually exclusive)

Depending on your circumstances obviously, but you could show that interest by spending the time with your child instead

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I would have been horrified to have had either of my parents go anywhere near my school or talk to a teacher under any circumstances. Parents are best kept away from teachers, park keepers and policemen. What they don't know won't hurt them.

And what they would have found out would have caused me a problem or two.

 

[Sandra6]

No they could not be bothered with me, I was very much an unwanted child who came along much to late in their life.

Sorry to hear that. It must have been quite difficult for you as a child.
Mine all use the line " you never did that with me" at one point or other and each will claim they were more hard done by than another. I don't think any of them will be particularly scarred by anything I've done, and our youngest definitely does not know she wasn't quite as planned for or intended as the others!

 

[biggs682]

i have my daughters one tonight starting at 5pm and our last appointment is 6.15 pm and that is if it all goes to time

 

[fossyant]

Wife is at the bun fight of secondary parents evening whilst I've just dropped my son at college for his interview for Sept 17 start. What the college will find out in 10 minutes is my guess.

Secondary parents evening are an unorganised scrabble to see the subject teachers. Pointless trying to book appointments as it's a bun fight. Some teachers look bored to death as no one goes to see them.

 

[Stephenite]

No they could not be bothered with me, I was very much an unwanted child who came along much to late in their life.

You're not unwanted here @screenman

 

[screenman]

You're not unwanted here @screenman

Thanks, that gave me a nice big smile.

 

[screenman]

Sorry to hear that. It must have been quite difficult for you as a child.
Mine all use the line " you never did that with me" at one point or other and each will claim they were more hard done by than another. I don't think any of them will be particularly scarred by anything I've done, and our youngest definitely does not know she wasn't quite as planned for or intended as the others!

As they get older you will remind them of things they did when they were younger, they will have forgotten a lot of it. The one thing I do know is that my kids will always be my kids no matter how old they get.

Have fun and keep smiling.

 

[subaqua]

You should try getting mock exam results out of eldest secondary school. Has to be an adult who receives them. Now given that me and mrs sub work full time that is a bit difficult. We emailed the school telling them that that it is not in their policy or newham education policy so results are to be given to her.

Nope a shitty email saying has to be given to responsible adult.

Then today daughter gets given a letter saying as results have been available for 4 days and she hasn't collected she will lose behaviour points as she obviously doesn't care about her education. This is the girl who asked school about college fairs and dates at start of academic year and was told will be a college fair on results week. She got off her backside and contacted colleges , which was a good job as lots close applications in December.

I Went to warp factor 10 and am ready to poke the results envelope up the phase leaders arris.

I called her cousin. 18 years old for 2 days. Asked if she would go and collect.

They gave the results to her FFS .

I am not a happy bunny at moment.

A stressed teen is now in bits and is demoralised to point she says she can't be bothered with exams in June .


Useless secondary school teachers.

 

[screenman]

Is it the teachers or is it the rules? Have you tried being a teacher, you may be suprised but not all children/teenagers are perfect.