Monday, July 21, 2008

Note to parents:

1. When your teenaged daughter is sobbing on my couch, having just received a diagnosis of depression, that is not the best time to glance at her and say in an exasperated tone, "It's not the end of the world."

2. When your anxiety-ridden three-year-old is too shy to demonstrate to me that he knows his colors and can name the parts of his body, it does not help to encourage him with, "You won't show the doctor your knee? Next time she'll give you a shot!"

That is all. Have a nice day.

21 comments:

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

How frustrating for you to have parents make your job so much harder. It does give you a good glimpse at what the children are up against at home, doesn't it?

Lori said...

*sigh*

This is why my pursuit of a study in psychology would not have panned out to a practice. Too hair triggered with both barrels.

Thank the Lord for you.

DogBlogger said...

Gahhhh!!!!! Yeesh!!!

I admire you for not assaulting those parents.

spookyrach said...

Hmm... how do we know she DIDN'T assault the parents, dogblogger? I think zorra is the smart, silent type. Wouldn't incriminate herself, sorta like the godfather.

God_Guurrlll said...

Gad Zuuks, (trying not to swear)

I just want five minutes alone with them...just five minutes.

Jody Harrington said...

Spooky--

Mum is the word.

Unknown said...

How awful!!

mid-life rookie said...

You know back in my teaching days, we often thought there should be a new diagnosis - PGP - poor gene pool - when we faced parents who were not part of the child's solution and often a big part of their problems.

Jan said...

How can you stand it?? You must be good at your job.

recovering baptist said...

Too sad for words. What ever happened to common sense. Do you ever request parent only sessions for "frank" discussion?

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

Oh that just makes me so angry! I once caught a grandmother telling her grand-daughter that, if she touched the candy machine again, a big mean policeman would come and take her away just like once took her mama away.

Yeah, it was ugly.

Ruby said...

Chilling, and so sad.

Terri said...

Oh my...anxious parents who feed their anxiety through their children rather than remain non-anxious and give the kid some space? or as mid-life says, PGP?

sad. sorry.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I would want your job...

Diane M. Roth said...

oh dear. as someone else said, "thank God for you."

will smama said...

ummm.... yikes.

And basically sums up why I left youth ministry. It was not because of the kids.

Thank you for remaining on the front lines!

Gracebythesea said...

I;m sorry Z. I laughed OUT LOUD when i read this. It really would be even funnier, if it wasn't so tragic. But after me barfing up grief on my blog today (ahh) this what just what i needed.
Now back to dreaming about the future???

crosswick said...

SIGH! Parents can be so very creepy. Weren't we teenagers and kids once???? Bohemia, I say!

Cathy said...

:( It happens more than we know, because if they say that in front of others, what do they say behind closed doors?

Stratoz said...

it tis human to say goof ball things, if I wasn't a goof ball my examen of my day would lack regrets. And as in the two examples often, we often think we are being helpful.

Mary Beth said...

Whata buncha creeps.

Thank God for YOU.