Rule 5:  You should have regular contact with school. It is even more important if your child is not achieving according to his ability. 

No doubt you’ve received midterm reports and report cards.  That information is a signal of your need to be involved in his education.  Again, if your child is doing well, you may not need to contact school. 

If the grades and commentary are not good, you MUST get more involved.  Contact the school immediately and begin an educational plan. Be the parent who wants to know the truth.  If you’re of the “Not My Kid” mentality, you can be certain your child will be ‘playing you’ every step of the way.  If your child knows you will believe the adult at school, she will think twice about conning you.  I know this first hand.

 A few years back, one of my students challenged me on a daily basis.  His smart mouth was something I could handle, but when it impacted the other students and his grades, I’d contact home.  It was refreshing to see his changed attitude the next day.  The parents believed me over their son. They provided a consequence, which forced a change in Junior’s behavior.    He returned to class the next day a different kid.  The student and I would even laugh that he wasn’t the kid from the day before.   Even now, I smile when I see those parents.  They were still able to impact their son no matter how big he was for his britches.  That’s parenting!