"None of us likes our parenting abilities being judged. It doesn't matter if it's the 'tsk tsking' busybodies in the supermarket watching on in visible disgust as your toddler blows a reactor core and goes into nuclear meltdown in the treats aisle because you won't buy them a bag of blue bonbons, or even your own parents chiming in to tell you where you are going wrong with raising your child, it is never easy to take criticism."
"Perhaps that is what makes parent-teacher meetings so uncomfortable - you can convince yourself that negative comments about your child are really a result of poor genetics (your spouse's, not yours, obviously) and that you have somehow managed to sire a magnificent dunce, but really, if your kid is failing at school there is every likelihood that it is your fault."
A parent initially opposed moving the eldest son to another school but agreed to the switch, which resulted in the son's increased happiness and improved academic performance. Parenting abilities are rarely enjoyed being judged; strangers in public and even close relatives often voice disapproval, making criticism difficult to accept. Public episodes of a child's misbehavior invite visible censure and amplify parental shame. Parent-teacher meetings can feel especially uncomfortable because negative comments about a child's progress can be attributed to genetics or parental failure. Parental choices about schooling and response to criticism can significantly influence a child's wellbeing and scholastic success.
Read at Independent
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