Any advice for parents with K-4 kids?

Parents Forum
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<p>As much as I hate to say this, listen to the grandparents…listen with a major filter and let any snarky things (comparing your non-athletic son with his athletic cousin) go over your head…but they have lived a long time and do know a few things.</p>

<p>I have a first cousin who is mentally challenged. He was born in the mid-60s. As soon as my blunt, tactless, old world grandmother saw him she said “there is something wrong with that kid.” Grandma was just terrible. And after five years of doctors visits and denial, my aunt finally admitted there was an issue. </p>

<p>We aren’t saints, but as kids grow up, we should try to see if there is a tiny grain of truth in any criticism we hear of our darlings. Yes, we need to love the kid on the couch, but if a few parents or teachers hint that the kid is a bully, consider that it might be true. This comes to mind because as a parent of older kids, there are some kids at the high school who have simply terrible reputations…their parents appear to be utterly clueless…I try to ask myself, could that be my kid and am I clueless?</p>

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<p>Don’t count on school district, administration, or teachers to have your children’s best interests in mind. Remember that 1) it’s ultimately a business, some run better than others; 2) CYA (cover-your-ass) can prevail; 3) if something seems off, odd, or niggling, look into it, even if you need to go out-of-pocket.</p>

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<p>One piece of advice from the elementary school counselor was to try to avoid moving between middle school and high school. In her observation, kids were likely to form close social groups in middle school that continued on into HS, but that elementary school social groups were not as necessary for adapting to elementary school. As always, your mileage may vary.</p>