Parent Teachers Meetings

Ugh! Last night I attended another Parent Teachers meeting. Don't get me wrong. All the reports I received were positive. Except from the Sports teacher! But we'll get back to that later. The thing is, I have children already in their 30's! So yes, I also have a first and fifth grader, but shouldn't I get a pass on these meetings! I mean, almost 30 years of Parents Teachers meetings! It's inhuman !!!! And it's not necessarily because of all the waiting involved. You arrive on time for your 6:00 appointment only to find out that 5:20 (if you're lucky!) just entered. And of course 5:50 grabs 20 minutes of meeting time instead of the allotted 10. And that's just one teacher you need to meet!!! No. That's not what's so torturous. The underlying reason for the great discomfort we experience at these meetings is our unconscious awareness that it is not our children that the teachers are reporting on. Nooooooooooo. If that was the case, then fine. The bitter truth is that we are sitting there in judgement! The teacher is judging US! What kind of parent are you that your child sometimes doesn't complete their homework assignment! As we squirm uncomfortably in those small seats and hear the teacher's report, all we can think to ourselves is "Where did I go wrong?". Maybe it's in my spouse's genes! Why can't my child be like goody two shoes Johnny from down the street, always on good behavior, studious and helpful around the house! Fortunately, the reports I received last night were good (except for that minor thing with my first grader cheating on a math test). Except from the Sports teacher. "Your child is lazy". The Sports teacher! Give me a break!