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Tips for having your kids still love you after your visit to their school's open house Date published: 9/8/2009
THE BEGINNING of the school year brings Open House. To me, open houses have always been a little scary. You never know what to expect or quite what to say to the teacher. And you never know what your kid is going to do, or if they will be horribly embarrassed by you. I've compiled a few suggestions designed to make open house a little easier on parents. These tips are mainly for parents of middle- and high-schoolers. Elementary-school children still love showing off their parents. First of all, try to look nice. Wear some khakis and a plain, collared shirt. Leave your "I'm with Stupid" T-shirt or hootchie-mama stilettos at home. You want to look as boring as possible so your kids' teachers won't remember you. (This could come in handy later.) Next, don't draw attention to yourself or your child. There is nothing more horrifying for a child than anyone noticing that, gasp, THEY ARE IN THE COMPANY OF THEIR PARENTS. This means you should not wave wildly or high-five anyone. And at no point should you grab your child's hand or put your arm around her shoulders. You should not smooth their hair down, tell them to stand up straight or demand they spit that gum out. You should not ask loudly if they brushed their teeth or if their shirts are clean. Preferably, you will walk a few steps behind your child and communicate telepathically with him. If you don't possess this extraordinary skill, you can always send a text. Next, don't look confused. If you are not sure where you are going, don't act like you don't know and, whatever you do, don't ask for directions. Let your children muddle around until they magically figure out where they are going, then you follow along behind. Now we come to a very important part of open house--meeting the teachers. In middle school and high school, your child will have several teachers. Don't worry if you botch meeting the first teacher, because you will have a chance to improve with the next one. Your approach depends on what type of child you have.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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