Discussion: Challenges Working with Parents * Module 5 Page 7 (3/9)

6/17/2016

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Example: One of the challenges is if you are seeing red flags or things that could be concerning, things that may make the family or child uncomfortable. One of the best things is finding common ground and being open to new ideas about how to foster the growth of the child.

1) Share one of the most challenging parts of working with families, and one of the best parts.

236 Comments

Lisa Boecker

11/8/2018 10:43:41 am

One of the challenges is feeling that with certain children, we have to repeatedly talk with parents about not so pleasant behaviors their child is exhibiting, sometimes almost daily. The most enjoyable part is being able to share positive moments their children have experienced throughout the day and getting to know the families and developing close relationships with them through a shared concern for their children.

Zoe Rogers

11/13/2018 11:33:38 am

One thing that i find challenging is sometimes having to have those tough conversations with parents about their kids who do continuously cause problems. But a great thing is watch those same kids overcome that problem and really blooming into an amazing child.

Jessica isaacs

12/14/2018 01:07:42 pm

I agree. And I also feel that it’s sometimes nerve wrecking not knowing how the parent will react, some people take things the wrong way and so it’s a hit or miss. But it’s great when a parent does communicate with you and want to figure out how to help their child together with you.

Amanda Harris

12/17/2018 01:21:10 pm

Yes I agree, having tough conversations about a child who is always a trouble maker is very hard and stressful.

heidi kearns

11/15/2018 06:29:52 pm

very hard when parents will not address an issue so not working on same page to best serve student.

mercedes

11/29/2018 09:57:18 pm

I agree its hard going to the parent with negative news that their child is having bad behavior an the parents refuse to believe that their child would do such things

Melinda Tandiono

11/17/2018 01:10:39 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is when the parents have an assumption that we're not looking for their child, especially when the child has special guidance.
One of the best part is when parents can have 2 way communications to get this child better

Elizabeth

12/9/2018 02:10:42 pm

One of the worst things is bringing up a child’s complications with the parents.On the other hand, the good thing is that the parents trust me to be able to be communicative about those things.

Kiera Schneider

12/3/2018 03:47:00 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is that one the parents dont communicate with each other information that you gave one of the parents. Also when the parents ignore your input about their child and doesnt help out what we are doing at in the center. one of the best parts about working with the parents is having a relationship with them. Being exciterd to talk with the parents about the childs day or vise versa.

Alexis

12/17/2018 09:03:08 am

I agree

savannah young

11/8/2018 11:32:59 am

One of the worst parts is when the parents refuse to see the needs of the child and ignore red flags that the school as presented them.
One of the best parts is being to work together on bettering the quality of care for the child.

Jessamy Thompson

11/8/2018 02:05:21 pm

One of the most challenging parts of a parent/teacher relationship
is approaching a parent with sensitive information. The teacher is apprehensive about the parents possible reaction to the news.
My favorite part of the family relationship is when a parent comes to school asking what song your taught their child the they are always humming so that they can sing it together at home.

Erin

11/25/2018 02:32:10 pm

I would agree that approaching a parent with sensitive information is extremely difficult. You really need to know how to approach each parents differently based on how the react towards things. I think that it is rewarding when parents give you positive feedback with things that they know you taught them.

Laura

12/8/2018 09:09:14 am

I haven't started working in a child care environment yet. Still in the process, but i imagine one of the most difficult situations would be sharing negative information with the parent. Either that the child is not behaving or any red flags. I'm sure no parent wants to hear that.
I also believe one of the most rewarding experiences with the families would be to be able to work together and help the child together to overcome the obstacle or get through a tough stage.

erica

11/8/2018 02:11:49 pm

one of the best thing is to share the progress the child has made at school with their parents. one the most difficult thing is to speak with the parents about their child's behavioral problems.

Cynthia

11/25/2018 07:01:03 pm

It can be very difficult to talk to a parent about behavioral issues if the parent is not wanting to talk about those things.

Leilanie

11/8/2018 02:23:30 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is when the child is starting to have red flags that need to be addressed. There was a child who was hitting his friends even without any reasons.
And one of the best parts was if the parent accepting the things that you are suggesting with them about their child.

Anne

11/8/2018 03:41:53 pm

Most rewarding is sharing the childs experiences and developments with the parents.
One of the more challenging things is to figure out the best way to approach a family about any concerns regarding their child.

Mary Lord

11/25/2018 09:08:46 am

I agree that one of the most challenging things is to figure out the best way to approach a family about concerns regarding their child. Unless you know the parent's well it would be very hard to know how to open up the subject of behavioral issues or red flags. But I would always open up with some positive qualities I've seen and gently move to the problem at hand.

I love telling parent's positive things about their children's day to not only make them happy but to assure them their child is doing well in school.

Makenzie

12/5/2018 06:26:12 am

I think the most challenging thing when it comes to parents and teachers that you see red flags in a different environment that they may not see any comes to interact with your children when it comes to listening and behavior issues that a child may cover up in front of parents and you’re trying to find the best way to do so. The best thing is I want to parent comes up to you and says they loved your idea when it comes to entertaining or teaching their child and a complement you and say it helped or worked or they’re doing a lot better because of something you did.

Janae

11/8/2018 05:09:46 pm

I have not worked in the child care field yet so I would say that the most challenging would be if I had to speak to the parent about I developmental issues. The best would be sharing anecdotes.

marissa

11/8/2018 05:50:56 pm

i think one of the hardest parts is having to talk with the family about red flags and them disagreeing or not seeing eye to eye with you.

the best part has to be hearing feed back from parents with how happy they are and the improvements they've seen in their child

Ceria Blue

11/8/2018 09:45:18 pm

One of the most challenging parts about working with families is finding ways to communicate your concerns about their child with them. And one of the best parts is sharing the stories of their child and building those relationships.

Trista Woody

11/9/2018 10:52:47 am

One of the hardest parts of working with families is trying to talk to a parent about their child misbehaving.
One of the best parts is being able to build a healthy relationship with the family and being a part of the children's development

Jennifer Cram

11/9/2018 03:48:00 pm

one challenging thing is if you see a concerning behavior or development concern having to approach the parents about it, no parent wants to think or hear that anything could be concerning about their kid so bringing that up seems to be a sensitive subject.
i love being able to tell the parents how amazing they were that day or funny things or cute things they did and be able to share how they day went so the parents know their kid was being watched and cared for because you know how that childs day went

Stephanie Garcia

11/10/2018 01:21:04 pm

I think one of the challenging things is when expressing concern about the child and ways the parents can help at home, but don't proceed with it.
The most rewarding is when the parents and teachers work together to help the child who needs that extra push. When their is strong communication it sometimes help the families understand what we see in the classroom and what they can do at home to further their understandings or skills.

Jacqueline Blas Gamero

11/12/2018 10:27:32 am

The hardest part for me would be to communicate sensitive information about the child. Parent may respond in a defensive or denial way if does not agree with my concern.

The best part for me would be to share with parents kid's accomplishments and how we can support their skills and talents.

lexi wasell

11/10/2018 03:25:56 pm

one challenging thing is when you have a behavior issue with the child and the parents dont believe and don't do anything at home to change it. on of the rewarding things is when a kid does something amazing and you tell the parents and see their face light up

Leslie

11/10/2018 05:10:57 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is when the family is unable to see any concern with their child and would look to other children or the environment as the excuse for a difficult situation. One of the best parts of working with families is when a cooperative solution produces a desired result. When we listen to each other and work together and a behavior issue improves or a hurdle to a milestone is overcome, it's fantastic.

Joon Peterson

11/10/2018 07:32:50 pm

I think that the most challenging thing is discussing the child's behavioral issues if there are any. We've had some very aggressive kids, and talking to a parent about that is hard because it's their child. They can't help but feel defensive, and that's a difficult conversation. Sometimes it's hard to see eye-to-eye. I think that the most rewarding thing is when we can create an environment that helps a struggling child grow.

Lucica Endo

11/10/2018 08:48:02 pm

Probably is when there is a behavior issue that needs to be addressed and family is not cooperative.

Walaa

11/11/2018 07:27:16 am

The challenging part is talk about their child behavior during the care hour to parent and they would be able to help and the best part is when child come back and mom have been working hard on child behavior and they thanks you because Of it or the best part is child had a good day .

Keara

11/11/2018 10:16:07 am

One of the challenging parts about working with families is that you don't always agree with what the parent wants and one of the best part about working with families is sharing their childs growth .

Tabatha Adaszewski

11/11/2018 01:40:10 pm

Trying to communicate to a parent problematic behaviors that happen at the childcare center that may not be duplicated at home

Clarisa

11/11/2018 02:48:50 pm

One of the worst parts about working with families that are challenging is when parent's might not be open to hearing constructive criticism about their child and how they might be able to overcome certain situations that are challenging for their child, but won't take action in helping to progress. The most rewarding part is when you get the parent's that actually wanna partake in their child's learning and wanna do anything they can to help their child progress to the standard they are suppose to be at.

Daneka

11/11/2018 10:22:04 pm

One of the best parts of working with families is sharing how the day went with the child and getting so excited and proud of the child. One of the most difficult part of working with parents is telling them bad news about their child. for example if the kid had a bad day and bit three kids

Cinthya Viguerias

11/11/2018 11:44:07 pm

One of the Most challenging things about working with families is engaging an building a relationship with them when they are not interested in being involved in their children's school/child care times. especially if you notice any behavioral issues, or any learning disabilities and they don't seem to be an open minded family. Also sometimes parents might want to be involved but are unfortunately too busy working long hours.

Mollie Hinshaw-Rasmussen

11/12/2018 01:49:38 pm

One thing I love most about working with families is sharing the investment you have with one child with another adult. I love sharing accomplishments the children achieved throughout the day and hearing about the milestones they achieved at home. One thing that can be frustrating when working with families can be the lack of communication when something big is happening the home. When the children start to lash out and when I reach out to parents sometimes they will give little information on what is going on personally that could affecting their child.

Hailey

11/12/2018 01:50:02 pm

It is very challenging when you have to discuss behavioral problems with parents or if there might be red flags with their child. One of the best rewards is when the parents listen and understand and want to work with you to help the child grow.

Ashley Morga

11/12/2018 03:26:10 pm

From my own experience, I can say the most challenging things in working with families is when a parent/guardian denies that there is a problem, has a "not my little angel" attitude, or assumes it must be your (the daytime caregiver's) problem to deal with because it's "your job" to deal with behaviors during the day. Conversely, it is really rewarding to work with families that share their family's celebrations, accomplishments, and experiences with you and with whom you can easily interact cooperatively with. It's just really a breath of fresh air to have everyone on the same team.

Christine Zaugg

11/12/2018 05:13:54 pm

I dislike it when a parent won't totally see how much her child likes to hit other children

Jennifer Lee

11/12/2018 08:12:47 pm

one of the most challenging parts of working with parents is that often times the parents are in a rush to leave at pick up and that does not leave a lot of time to discuss any of the day's events with them. However, one of the best parts is that they are still willing to make time to discuss with teachers, it just might have to be a set meeting time.

Morgan link

11/13/2018 12:14:27 pm

The hardest part is telling parents things their child has done that has been bad behavior, the best thing is sharing happy news about their child

Pennie Johnson

11/13/2018 12:16:53 pm

The most challenging part is when parents don't seem to really care about how their child's day went. My most favorite part is creating portfolios of each child's stay at the care center so that the families can see everything we've covered during their stay.

Janice Noble

11/13/2018 02:17:25 pm

One of the most challenges of working is getting past the parents prejudgments so they don't feel like I am picking on their child. One of the best is talking about an activity the class did with a parent and the child saying they liked it and how they want to show their parent.

Taylor Clack

11/13/2018 03:33:21 pm

One of the most challenging parts is when a child is behaving badly, I should have a talk about what the child did wrong and how we can resolve the situation. 1 of the best parts is teaching a child how to take turns and share because they sometimes do not know how to play nicely.

Nicole

11/13/2018 03:39:17 pm

One of the most difficult things is talking to parents about behavioral challenges. One of the best things is being able to tell them that their child did great today and was improving on some things that were challenges previously.

Brianda Kukulka Heredia

11/13/2018 04:31:29 pm

One of the hardest parts with working with families is having a conversation with a parent and that parent is in complete denial of their child's aggressive behavior, or not meeting milestones, or pointing the finger at us, if something doesn't go right with their child.

The best thing with working with families, is the relationships you form with them. The fact that they are entrusting us with their most prized possession. We love each and everyone of our children and I hope our families know that.

Jeannie R Pauly

11/13/2018 08:16:48 pm

One thing that is challenging about working with families is when they don't have time to discuss their child's behavior. It is so hard to work with a family and help a child when they don't want to put in the time and try and understand the root of the problem. One thing about families that I love is building that relationship and watching their child reach a milestone together. There is no better feeling than being a part of a child's challenging development or behavioral issue and seeing them reach a goal or fix their behavior. The trust and bond you build with families is the best part of my job!

Yesenia Perez

11/13/2018 09:14:52 pm

the most challenging is definitely informing parents about behavioral problems, the best is getting to know the childrens' personalities

Swannee Bruner

11/13/2018 11:55:43 pm

One of the biggest challenges is sometimes having conversations with parents about their child's behavior. There are occasionally those parents that believe that the issue never has anything to do with their child, but is always the fault of another child because they have the perfect angel. In those cases finding the right words becomes extremely important.

One of the most rewarding things about working with families is learning the true personalities of a child, and working with the child to overcome an obstacle they did not believe they could conquer. For example working with a child that is struggling in mathematics and believing they cannot do their addition. To see them grasp the concepts, and become eager about doing their math with confidence-is heartwarming.

M. Lizzete

11/14/2018 11:10:04 am

One of the biggest challenges is sharing with a parent the news that we are concern about their child needing some extra special support on special needs. Parents don't like to hear their child could be on special needs.

One of the most rewarding things working with families is when they appreciate us. trust us and work with us helping their kids.

Hannah Folsom

11/14/2018 12:23:37 pm

The biggest challenge is having to talk to a parent about something a child might be doing that is not appropriate at a day care or that might be hurting other children, many parents want to instantly protect their children but once the parent understands that you are informing them because you want to help their child it becomes easier to talk to them

Amy Sommerlatte

11/14/2018 06:52:31 pm

One of the hardest parts is not understand the family dynamic if they aren't willing to share what's happening at home.
One of the best things is working with a family to solve a problem that actually ends up working for the best of all involved.

noelle

11/14/2018 08:30:26 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with children is when parents seem to be in a rush to drop off or pick up and you want to communicate with them but never have time. It is important to have open communication with the families but when they are always in a rush it seems like there is never time to touch base and if i say I want to talk to them for an extended period of time they often think that there is something wrong with the child but in fact I really just am looking to establish a relationship with them so that we can do our best to make sure the child is reaching the developmental milestones and talk about there aspirations and concerns regarding the child.

syd

11/14/2018 08:50:51 pm

My favorite part is creating art projects with kids and one of the most challenging parts is talking to parents about their child's challenging behaviors.

Jessica Alvillar

11/14/2018 09:09:51 pm

One of the challenging things about working with families is when they do not take the concerns regarding their children seriously. It is always hard for parents to hear about any possible delays or behavioral problems, but it is also tough for educators. Both parties want what is best for the child and it can take a bit of time for parents to see that.
One of the best things about working with families is forming a relationship that goes beyond the center/family daycare. Forming that relationship is rewarding because the families appreciate all the work you do for their children.

Crista Havar

11/15/2018 08:42:16 am

Since I work in the office, the most challenging part of my job is having to talk to parents about payment issues. The most rewarding is getting to know the kids and families.

Josephine Pleake

11/15/2018 12:01:35 pm

I love talking with parents about their children when something we have been working on clicks for them.
I have trouble when it comes to parents who refuse to see the warning signs of issues in their children and refuse help.

jessie

11/15/2018 12:37:30 pm

One challange i find is finding the right dialogue to explain behavior without upsetting the parent, the best thing is sharing with parents the great things their child exhibits. I love taking and giving pictures to the parents so they can see their child in full daycare mode action :)

Padmaja Kondeti

11/15/2018 04:20:40 pm

One of the challenging part is finding the correct way and words to explain the red flags we observed in our childcare,because its not easy for parents or providers to listen about child.
The favorite part to discuss with parents is the developments of child in child care and the good behavior with teachers and other children.

Char Mackie

11/15/2018 05:53:45 pm

The challenging part for me is letting the parents know that there is some issues that need to be addressed, when we here at the center has tried to address it at the center and when every thing that we tried to do to take care of the issues and nothing has works and the parents don't want to here it, but also tell the parents the good things that the child is doing & how the child is learning & what the child has accomplished.

Taylor Haven

11/16/2018 04:55:09 am

The most challenging part of working with families would be keeping everyone on the same page... often, one parent drops the children off in the morning, and the other picks up at night. A great part of working with families is that you have a whole team who want to support the child's success.

Ciara Szabo

11/16/2018 08:57:43 am

The most challenging is having a different point of view than the parents, and the most positive is watching the children grow and being complimented by the parents.

amber

11/16/2018 10:23:58 am

the most challenging thing about working with families and children is having to have the conversation with the family about the child showing redd flags for being developmentally behind. the most positive thing is to watch the kids grow and learn so much and creating that bond with them.

dena

11/16/2018 01:04:18 pm

open communication can be both rewarding when building a relationship with a family as well as being the most challenging.

Maria Zuniga

11/16/2018 04:18:09 pm

the most challenging is talking to the parents about a child misbehavior, and seeing there reactions, the best part is talking with parents about a childs accomplishments

noelle

11/16/2018 07:43:21 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with parents is trying to find the right time to approach and have a conversation with them if you are feeling the least bit concerned about their child because I know there is so much going on in everyones lives and especially if they have a few kids, the task seems even harder. One of the most rewarding is when they tell you that you have made a positive impact in their child's life.

fateme hosseini nejad

11/16/2018 11:49:25 pm

The most challenging part of working with families would be keeping everyone on the same page.One of the most rewarding things about working with families is learning the true personalities of a child, and working with the child to overcome an obstacle they did not believe they could conquer.

Piyawan Nakhongmuang

11/17/2018 10:36:11 am

The most challenging part is when the family disagreed about their child aggressive behavior. The rewarding part is sharing with family about their child's developing learning skills.

Amanda

11/17/2018 12:10:05 pm

The most challenging part of working with families is having the hard conversations when a child is repeatedly having bad behavior and the conversation has been had multiple times. The most rewarding part about working with families is sharing the child's accomplishments and 'ah!' moments. It's a wonderful feeling!

Susan Stehr

11/17/2018 12:25:30 pm

The most challenging part is speaking with parents about challenging behavior and not getting the desired "what can we do at home to help" response. Its the unwillingness to help from parents that I find most challenging.
The most rewarding is when you see the progress the child has made overcoming some challenges and how proud and independent they feel about this success.

Makayla

11/17/2018 05:41:34 pm

One of the most challenging parts is that some of the families are just as stubborn as the kids. Its like you're speaking to a brick wall.
One of the most rewarding parts is the complete opposite. You can grow a bond with some of the families. That's the best.

Conner

11/17/2018 09:23:16 pm

Sometimes, the families I work with can be tough because they have things that they are dealing with that can affect their attitude and how they interact with me. They might lash out at me because of something else that is stressing them out. But I love talking to them/ with them about their child's progress or a funny moment they had. Seeing their face light up and the love they have for their child is priceless.

Gretchen

11/18/2018 12:25:22 am

A challenge for me has been when parents get upset because they can't find their kiddos stuff that they came with. We constantly tell parents to put their kiddos name in the clothes or on any toys they bring from home but more often than not, they don't and then they get mad at us for that belonging getting lost. My favorite part however is connecting with the parents. As a parent myself to 2 small children I can understand their highs and lows of parenting. It really shows the parents that I'm going through this whole parenting thing with them and that I understand the anxiety you can have about raising children and hoping you are doing it "right".

Heather Inscore

11/18/2018 01:42:10 am

one of the most challenging parts is when you bring up a concern with a parent about a childs behavioral problems and they don't seem to want to work with you on it, or act like it is not a big deal.
one of the best things is showing a parent projects their child has done or artwork they have created and watching the parent and child interact as the child tells them what they made.

HAJI A HAJI

11/18/2018 07:50:30 am

One of the most challenging things about working with families is trying the be in same page with families and trying to engage them in building a relationship with them when they are not interested in being involved. The best part of it is the rewarding carrier taking care children shaping their future.

Darci

11/18/2018 07:56:55 am

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is not really knowing what goes on at home. Some parents will share quite a bit and are willing to work with you as a partner in raising their child. Others, aren't as forthcoming and when you have challenging behavior that aren't as willing to see and then work on things at home.
Rewarding would have to be when children show something that they have made either to their parents or to me. When it is something I know they have done on their own, it is wonderful to see all the growth that a project can showcase for a student.

Neha Bhatia

11/18/2018 11:25:41 am

One of the worst parts is when the parents refuse to see the needs of the child and ignore red flags that the school as presented them.

Louis J Berticevich

11/18/2018 12:13:42 pm

A big challenge that I deal with is sharing information about challenging behaviors that the parents have heard/seen countless times before. It makes me feel like I'm not doing enough to support the student. On the flip side, being able to share specific successes that the child had is one of the best parts of dealing with parents!

Jennifer

11/18/2018 12:25:06 pm

One of the challenging parts of dealing with parents is when they do not follow through with a plan that has been set in place.
The best is sharing successes and happy anecdotes.

Max L Hanson

11/18/2018 12:43:26 pm

Parents not following through on a plan is frustrating. I also dislike when the parents only consider what is best for their children, and not the rest of the children.
The best thing for me is watching my students grow and learn to be productive members of society. I love knowing that I've helped make a positive difference in their lives.

Aliah

11/18/2018 03:31:06 pm

The most challenging thing about working with families is the frustration that comes from not sharing the same idea of what is best for a child. If a parent wants a non-vaccinated child to come to the daycare despite an outbreak, we have to figure something out.The most rewarding part, however, is the connections you get to make with the families once you and the parents find middle ground.

vanessa

11/18/2018 07:55:05 pm

when not seeing eye to eye when it comes to the care of the child.

Jennifer Hanson

12/14/2018 05:48:21 pm

This makes it so hard and it makes you feel as the caregiver that you are trying to put the child down when in reality you are actually trying to help the child do better in their academics and succeed to a higher level.

Taylor Meadows

11/18/2018 08:40:57 pm

I work with toddlers. One of the most challenging things is communicating a child's bad behavior with a parent (especially when there is nothing necessarily positive to point out about the child) because a couple parents have taken it personally and haven't tried to implement any consistency between home and school about the issues of bad behavior.

Ashley

11/18/2018 11:08:25 pm

One of my greatest pleasures in working with families and children is when I can see a child master a new skill or grow in their relation to other children. One of the biggest challenges is when a child has a clear behavior issue, and despite speaking with parents, things are not addressed at home, leading to further issues in care with me.

Brandie

11/19/2018 10:17:19 am

One of the most challenging parts of working with families, I think would be communicating with the family during parent conferences and sharing their child's developmental areas. Its always a hard subject to communicate with parents but those challenges are communicated respectively so we as a team can talk about any goals they might have for their childs development or something different they might want to try.

Janine

11/19/2018 05:39:12 pm

One of the more difficult things about taking care someone child is when they will not address an issue with that child and brush it off as if it's not very important. But when things go good its so nice to share the great things that kids will do on a day to day basis.

Nalika Virachi

11/19/2018 08:09:54 pm

The most challenging parts of that relationship is trying to work on challenging behaviors with the parents, when the behavior happens at school and at home but the parents aren't addressing the situation at home. The best part of working with families is being able to connect over their children, the delight and excitement we can both share over the progress and development of the kids is very rewarding.

Cynthia Lopez

11/25/2018 07:07:04 pm

It really be disheartening when parents do not have the energy or time to address behavioral issues of their children. It really hurts the children and make it harder for the childcare providers.

mariyana marble

11/19/2018 08:15:02 pm

One of the challenging things when talking to parents is when they seem to make excuses for their children's misbehavior when confront "ever since he started playing with that kid, that where he learned to hit."
One of the best things when having conversations with parents about their child is when they put aside their fantasy that their child is always in the right and show some tough love by acknowledging that their kid did this or that and working on that with the school.

Ebony Bell

11/20/2018 09:51:45 am

For me, one of the hardest parts is connecting with the families. However, that turns out to be my favorite part because I love having conversations with my kids parents.

Jana Samuelson

11/20/2018 10:16:29 am

One of the hardest parts of working with families is having to have conversations about challenges a student might be having in class. This could be behavioral or academic. The best part of working with families is when you have built a connection between school and home and when parents share their child's successes with you.

Siara

11/20/2018 01:40:38 pm

One thing for me that is challenging is communication with families and parents because each family is different. but the best part is building a connection with each family member.

Abdul

11/20/2018 01:52:20 pm

I haven't worked in the child care field yet so I would say that the most challenging would be if I had to speak to the parent about the developmental issues and the way that we teach them

Gianna

11/20/2018 03:00:43 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is with holding your own opinions or judgments of how a family chooses to raise their child. One of the best parts about working closely with families is when you form a bond and they are very appreciative of the work that you do.

Ratnamala Chakravorty

11/20/2018 06:00:20 pm

Every time that I had to talk to a parent or a family regarding some behavioral issues with the respective child which might be somewhat of a red flag used to make me feel uneasy. I have seen many parents in denial and often very defensive but the best part is when you slowly connect with the families in your own way, they are always ready for discussion regarding their child's behavioral issues and is ready to work closely for the well being of the child.

Florette EBENGHO MATULI

11/20/2018 07:01:00 pm

One thing that is challenging is when the children are unable to explain to me what they need when they are crying. One good thing is to work with children coming from different part of the world and learning from them.

Laura Jakobsen

11/20/2018 07:06:35 pm

One of the hardest things about working with families is when the family comes in saying that their child is telling them they're being bullied at school, even though you've seen absolutely no bullying happening with said child. One of the best things is when a child comes in to school, and asks you if you're going to learn anything that day, because they are so excited to continue to learn.

Maribel Andrade

11/20/2018 09:34:53 pm

One challenging part of working families would be when a parent thinks that their child would never do such a thing, but they do and they are not doing anything to help control that behavior so the child continues to act the way they do. One of the best parts would be me being able to have a great communication and express what I see with their child throughout the day,

dinapriya

11/21/2018 10:59:26 am

Emily Repp

11/21/2018 12:47:58 pm

The toughest thing for is having to talk to a parent about something bad that their child has done and one of the best is when their child accomplishes something and you get to tell their parent about it.

Meseret Woldeyes

11/21/2018 07:16:12 pm

I think the most challenging part is having a different point of view than the parents of the child. Another most challenging part is telling the parents that there child is misbehaving.

colette

11/22/2018 10:16:49 am

one of the more challenging conversations is when a child is misbehaving and is causing trouble

one of the best thing are working with the child to over come their problems and showing a different way to overcome the frustations

Haley Welch

11/22/2018 12:30:06 pm

One of the hardest things working with parents is trying to get on the same page with things like potty training or any sort of developmental stage that we think they are ready for and the parents seem to be holding them back. One of the best things is to see their eyes light up when they see the crafts their kid made or hear the stories the teachers have to tell them each day

jessica

11/22/2018 01:22:20 pm

when a parent refuses to see the needs of the child and red flags.
working as a team to improve the childrens behavior and development.

Jessica

11/22/2018 07:55:17 pm

One of the best parts is you get to be a part of that child's learning experience and it's always fun getting to know the families. One of the worst part is having to tell families that their child had a hard day or that their child got hurt at daycare that day

Brittany

11/23/2018 10:38:05 am

One of the best parts is getting to know the family and connecting with them on a more personal level. The hardest is sharing with them their child needs additional support.

Sook Kyung Park

11/23/2018 07:46:26 pm

Getting actual connection with the parents is the best part of working with families. I also feel the same way, too. It is just great when you feel that you are working as a team.

Sook Kyung Park

11/23/2018 07:44:56 pm

One of the challenges is when you are seeing red flag on one of the children in your class and you are not quite sure how parents are going to react to the things that you mention to them. One of the best things is being at the same level with the parents about how to help their child get better at something. It would be academical or it would be like behavior wise.

Virginia Paddock

11/23/2018 08:59:10 pm

I agree its hard to determine if the parents are going to react badly or will react well.

Virginia Paddock

11/23/2018 08:44:27 pm

One of the hardest things is to get the family members on the same page as you about the Childs care.

One of the best things is being able to communicate with the other teachers and parents.

KARI A WORKMAN

11/23/2018 11:07:36 pm

I think sharing about the activities and progress the child is making is one of the best thing as well as sending home something the child has taken the time to create for the parent like an art project. One of the difficult things would be to talk to a parent about a repetitive behavior problem and getting the parent to engage in helping create a solution that works both at home and in care.

Daniele Pine

11/24/2018 11:28:06 am

Having conversations about a child's behavior is tough just due to the situation, one of the best conversations is getting to share child's new accomplishments with families.

Deanna

11/24/2018 11:36:33 am

I feel having an open and honest relationship with the parents is very crutial and necessary. Also to let them know the areas their child is exceling and areas they can help their child work on at home. But as hard and scary it may be to tell parents about problems with their child they need to know so that the teacher can work with them on correcting the problems

McKenzie

11/24/2018 01:10:35 pm

On of the challenges working with parents is that sometimes they want us to drop everything and anything for their child even if we have several others to look out for.
But what’s great about working with the parents is showing them their child’s progress and seeing them proud and happy.

Valerie Sweisthal

11/24/2018 08:41:15 pm

One of the hardest things to talk with parents about are red flags and of negative behavior seen through out the day.

It is good when you already have a trusted relationship with the parent. You can talk with them about anything dealing with their child.

Remya Benedict

11/24/2018 11:04:01 pm

One of the challenging part to work with parents is to help them understand the behavior problem in their child.
One best thing is to show the child’s progress on different things like potty training, recognizing letters etc and see the happiness in their face.

Ginger Clapper

11/25/2018 12:24:12 pm

One challenging situation presented itself at the beginning of the year at a Pre K learning center when a parent was insistent that their child be taught specific modalities in the curriculum in the first few weeks but the child’s behavior was so unfavorable that the instructor had to lay aside some of the learning material and focus primarily on correcting the child’s opposition to following rules and the disruption it caused to the other children.

laxmi

11/25/2018 03:40:38 pm

One of the most challenging parts of a parent/teacher relationship
is approaching a parent with sensitive information.

Tyler E Monica

11/25/2018 04:25:05 pm

One of the most challenging parts was telling them they needed to pay, and then having to turn them away. Then they get frustrated with me and say harsh things in front of me and the kids. Most positive is seeing them smile when they here about how good there kids are doing

Cynthia Lopez

11/25/2018 07:04:48 pm

One of the most challenging things that is difficult to work with families that do not have a lot of time is that sometimes the parents do not spend much quality time with their children. It shows up in the children's attitudes and behaviors at the daycare. One of the best things with working with families is that childcare providers get to be an outside part of the family. Sharing stories with the parents on how their child is doing is really rewarding.

Brittany McDaniel

11/25/2018 07:31:14 pm

The most challenging is a parent having a difficult time accepting when their child needs extra support. The best is working together for their child success

Marwa Shaheen

11/26/2018 12:10:14 pm

the most challenging part is having to try to address issues with the parents when they dont seem to be interested or when they dont have enough time to talk. The best part is when I get to share the children's progress with the parents and get to watch them be proud of their kids

Rosanne Lee

11/26/2018 01:02:01 pm

One of the challenges is gaining trust from the parents - especially if their child is struggling. One of the best things is developing a sense of trust with the parents and seeing their child learn, grow and excel at school.

mariya a shershen

11/26/2018 01:31:25 pm

when parents dont have the time to talk, lack of communication
also its great when you are on the same page and have a game plan

Miriam Kolker

11/26/2018 01:39:15 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is when the family thinks their child should be capable of something that the child is not developmentally ready for - it is hard to disagree with a family member about that.

One of the best parts of working with families is becoming part of the family. When you develop positive relationships with the children and adults, together you become part of an invaluable community.

Darci

11/26/2018 02:47:47 pm

One of the hardest things about working with parents is when they completely ignore a problem that you have addressed about their child. For example, if you repeatedly ask them to bring rain boots in the rainy season and they never do and say that their child is "fine" but then the child is cold and wet.

One of the more rewarding things about working with parents is when you are all on the same page and really celebrate milestones met by the children in your care.

Jennifer Martinez

11/26/2018 07:44:03 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with parents is to present any bad behavior that the child may be picking up. It is difficult for parents to hear or admit any bad doing of the child, so it can be a difficult conversation to receive or give. One of the best parts of working with parents is the reward that comes with it when they notice both growth and changes in their child's development .

Clarita Whatley

11/26/2018 09:17:51 pm

One of the challenges is when I have to let the parent know that their child is not behaving properly and is having a hard time listening and not doing their lesson/activity.
The great thing is- we talk and share ideas, observe the child and we then see the changes and the child overcoming his poor behavior.

Jason

11/26/2018 11:22:41 pm

One of the most challenging parts about speaking with families is mentioning bad behaviors throughout the day, but the best part is speaking about how the individual turned their day around and bounced back from that bad event. I think those are the biggest developmental steps, it's important to show that even though some may fall down/back they can always get back up. I always give more emphasis on the latter, we make mistakes to learn from them after all.

Samantha G

11/27/2018 03:24:06 pm

One of the most challenging parts is dealing with a behavior issues, Some family don't experiences their child having a problem at home, it becomes hard for them to see it happen in a different environment.

One of the best parts of working with family is when they want to come in and interact with the children in the class, they ask for guidance and follow through or helps come up with more ideas for the child development.

Amber Michelle

11/27/2018 09:05:45 pm

It's challenging when the parent may be super overprotective and you have minor issues with kids pushing and are trying to work through it with all the parents.

The best part is the relationship you get to build over the year or years you have their child or children. It's amazing how close a bond you can truly grow and an impact you can make on them and vice versa.

Adiara Diabate

11/27/2018 09:17:59 pm

The most unpleasant part of working with families is definitely talking about behavior problems or potential developmental problems about their kids and seeing them so closed off that they become defensive.

The best part is working together and having them help support their child's growth by doing supplemental work at home.

Cassandra Rains

11/27/2018 09:33:17 pm

a challenge would be communicating concerns to parent about child, or if there was regression on an area the child had been working on overcoming.

a reward would be sharing moments where child overcame a negative behavior, such as, instead of taking from a friend, asking friend for the toy.

Shoshana Glickman

11/28/2018 10:18:31 am

One of the most challenging parts of a teacher to parent relationship is sharing sensitive information about the child. One of the best parts is to share milestones about the child and something sweet they did during the day.

Anita Utheim

11/28/2018 12:02:30 pm

I think the most difficult part of working with families is when parents don't seem interested in what their children are doing and learning during their day. Some parents just want to drop and go and pick up and leave with no interaction about how things are going for their child. Some parent don't appreciate (probably not the right word) what goes into a day in childcare for teachers and children.
The best part is at the end of the day when a child comes to find you to say goodbye before they leave, because to them you are an important part of their lives.

Jackson Lindsay

11/28/2018 12:11:04 pm

The hardest part is when there is an issue with the child because parents often don't want to see flaws in their children. The most rewarding part is getting to tell the parents their kid did really well today

Emily Anderson

11/28/2018 01:48:32 pm

One of the most challenging aspects of working with parents is communication when the child experiences a behavior or has a negative experience and finding common ground on how to work to help the child develop. One of the best parts of working with parents is being able to share positive experiences of their child including growth and celebrating progress.

Katie Hosler

11/28/2018 02:11:01 pm

One of the most challenging aspects of working with parents is communicating with families when their child exhibits negative behaviors or is not progressing along as they normally should be. One of the best parts of working with families is being able to share their child's achievements and when they reach goals, being able to share in the joy of their growth together.

Erin Alvord

11/28/2018 07:45:00 pm

I think the hardest part would be having to communicate when there is a problem, like the child keeps biting others, but my favorite thing is watching the child grow

Britny Derton

11/28/2018 08:37:12 pm

One of the best parts about working with families is getting to know them and learning about them. I love being able to say "Hey! How did this go last week? I remember you telling me about it!"
One of the most challenging parts is having to tell the parents that their child was having a bad day or to tell them that we think the child may need to be screened for a possible problem.

11/28/2018 08:57:06 pm

It is very hard when parents will not address an issue so not working on same page to best serve student..

Rachel Patrzeba

11/28/2018 09:42:36 pm

One of the best things about sharing information with the parents is when their child achieves something they have been working on or if they just did something extra special today. One of the worst things is letting the parent know you are having some difficulty with their child and your are just looking for a solution to help solve the problem.

Victoria DeanEwing

12/5/2018 08:28:12 pm

Yes! Parents love to hear about how their child is progressing and growing developmentally in daycare or preschool. Its always hard to let a parent know about their childs not so pleasant behavior, its like we are the bearers of bad news when this happens.

Alysha Phelps

11/28/2018 10:13:44 pm

One of the harder parts of working with parents is when you are trying to discuss certain red flags or behaviors and the families either completely ignore you or are unwilling to have a discussion about it. The rewarding bits however are getting to show what the kids are learning through their art or asking them questions about a topic we learned that day and getting to see family faces light up with excitement.

sateva Henderson

11/29/2018 11:09:25 am

To each parent their own. but when you try to talk about it with them, they don't really care, or even address the issue.

Jackson Gillihan

11/29/2018 12:31:04 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with parents is that some of them are very private about their lives, which can make it difficult to nail down the source of difficult behaviors from a child in order to help them.
One of the most rewarding parts of working with parents is getting the opportunity not only to minister to kids, but also to minister to while families.

Hannah Tucker

11/29/2018 03:12:18 pm

No parent likes to hear their child is acting out in class. Discussing a child's negative behavior/actions with a parent is always difficult, especially if those issues relate to family matters. However by keeping communication open and keeping a friendly manner, caregivers and parents can create a positive learning environment for the child. Knowing a child feels welcomed and embraced in your care is the best reward for being a caregiver.

nicole

11/29/2018 06:36:14 pm

one of the challenges is when the child has a lot of behavior problems and sometimes talking to parents about that can be hard . but I love when just getting to know the families in general

mercedes

11/29/2018 09:55:02 pm

challenging part is that when having to go to the parents with negative things about the day with their child. best part is when going to the parents about something positive that day with their child

Alexandra Flores

11/29/2018 09:56:02 pm

Talia Felice

11/30/2018 01:50:12 pm

One of the biggest difficulties of working with families is having to address a concern you have about their child possibly having a red flag. A lot of parents may get defensive, be in denial, or just ignore the fact that you are attempting to bring something so important to their attention. The best part with working eith families however, is the bond you build with them and their children over time. As long as you communicate to the parents everyday that relationship will be easy to establish. You will become attached to the family and they will become attached to you as well. The stronger the relationship/bond the better.

Arie Dow

11/30/2018 02:19:52 pm

one of the best parts is that you get to be apart of the child's life and watch them grow, the worst part is that, sometimes you have to communicate with them a problem that has risen within their child

Sumia Abdullahi

11/30/2018 03:23:07 pm

I surmise that the most difficult thing is talking about the tyke's conduct issues if there are any. We've had some extremely forceful children, and conversing with a parent about that is hard on the grounds that it's their tyke. They can't resist the urge to feel protective, and that is a troublesome discussion. Here and there it's difficult to see eye-to-eye. I imagine that the most remunerating thing is the point at which we can make a domain that enables a battling kid to develop.

Veronica Herrera

11/30/2018 09:24:25 pm

One of the hardest parts about working with families is trying to discuss their child's behavior when the child is acting out or when there is cause for concern because there are times when the parent may be angry about hearing that information. One of the best parts about working with families is being able to share the good moments and share fun stories about their child as well as hearing stories about how the child acts at home. It is rewarding being able to share all of the good news about the child with the families.

Aleisha

12/1/2018 05:11:16 pm

One of the most challenging parts is that every family is so diverse. Some come from different ethnic backgrounds and others are not a traditional mom and dad family. All families are different and have different ways of caring for their children which reflects in the children when they are in our care. The best thing about working with families is sharing the milestones kids reach or just sharing something really special their child did that day.

Melissa

12/2/2018 04:52:29 am

One of the most challenging parts are talking with parents about there childs behavior the bad parts, the best parts are when the family want to work with you on the child behavior

Carol Noe

12/2/2018 11:24:14 am

I think a difficult thing with working with families is the parents who act like their three year old should be acting like a seven year old. They don't seem to be very informed on how child development progresses. A positive and good thing would probably be the parents who come in and are genuinely interested in what their young child has to say about how their day went and what they did, not just nodding their head.

Nichole Payne

12/2/2018 12:22:23 pm

One of the most challenging parts is talking to a parent about a hard situation or challenge that their child is facing. One of the most rewarding part of working with children is watching them learn and grow and over coming challenges.

Jennifer Sharp

12/2/2018 03:47:44 pm

One of the most challenging aspects to working with families is when parents don't realize how the home environment may be contributing to behavior problems at school.
One of the most rewarding parts of working with families is when parents and teachers can work together to create a positive situation for a child.

Kenneth

12/2/2018 04:03:26 pm

The most challenging part for me would be starting a conversation with a parent about their child's behavior problems in class. The best part is when parents let you know they are giving continuity to a certain activity you are giving in class at their home.

Danielle

12/2/2018 10:27:25 pm

One challenge is when you are potty training and the parents aren't actively participating in the training at home.
One of the best is seeing a new child open up and

Dean

12/3/2018 01:29:47 pm

I think the hardest thing to talk to parents about is their childs behavior .
some parents have a hard time believing their child would act like that or want to blame it on another child.
The best thing is when a parent relises that their child has mastered a skill like putting on their coat with out assistance.

Gaby

12/3/2018 08:02:26 pm

I think one of the hardest things about working with families is when you have to let them know about a struggle that their child may be having and they blame you for what is happening instead of us all finding a way to help correct/supports the child.

On of the best things working with families is when you can share the growth of their child with the family and the families notice the improvement of their child.

Jessica Montes

12/4/2018 12:46:23 pm

I think the hardest part is when you have to mention a childs behavior and let thew parent know that its concerning because some parents dont believe that their child will act that way

the best part is having understanding parents who are willing tocome together and help their childs behavior

Beverly Starr

12/4/2018 12:58:16 pm

it is very hard when you need to talk to a parent about their child's actions at school and they don't want to believe you (red flags)

it great when the parents are on board with you about how to get the child to reach a better place while at school (behavior)

Sami

12/4/2018 07:34:56 pm

One of the best parts about seeing the parents is you build a relationship with them and learn about them. And one of the hardest parts is when you have to talk to the parents about how their kid was today at daycare.

Adiara Diabate

12/4/2018 08:38:26 pm

One of the challenges I encounter is relaying the importance of a red flag or concern to parents. Often time, I can see them close off or just look doubtful about the severity of their child's situation.

kalynn

12/4/2018 09:00:04 pm

One hard part in dealing with children's paren't in our care is when parents refuse to see the red flags in their child's behavior and don't want to listen to what you have to say. One good thing is when you have those parents who do communicate and want to know how their child is doing in school.

Susan Adhikaram

12/4/2018 11:51:26 pm

I think the one thing I found challenging is talking to parents whose kids constantly making problems. But the best part is most parents are happy and willing to talk about their children's development.

Brenda

12/5/2018 10:00:16 am

Being shy to talk to parents sometimes, but I try my best.

Sarah Swart

12/5/2018 02:20:01 pm

One of the worst things about working with families is when they make negative assumptions about the care of their children, for example when a child turns out to have diaper rash when the parent picks up and she automatically assumed we were lying about the amount of times her daughter was being changed only to late found out that she forgot to tell us a specification on how she wanted her daughters changes to be handled due to overly sensitive skin). It is understandable though as parents want to feel like their children are safe and well taken care of. The key is to imagine yourself in their position and ALWAYS remain calm, caring, patient and explain everything.

The best part of working with families is to learn about cultures and lives that are so much more than the small world I am currently living. I love learning about the children and the reasons behind their individuality, where they pickup their catch phrases ( "happy day" ), and getting to know them as little people (imagining them as little adults I might meet on the street one day).

Nokomis Masoner

12/5/2018 02:48:23 pm

Talking to parents about concerns/ red flags is most challenging.

Victoria DeanEwing

12/5/2018 08:21:40 pm

The most challenging part is when the parents ignore my input or thoughts about their child's needs, and issues or challenges stay unresolved. The best part working with families is when o get to share with them their child's accomplishments and success, and what their current goals are.

Jennifer Hanson

12/14/2018 08:05:54 pm

I agree. I remember making some suggestions to my brother and sister in law in their parenting especially their oldest daughter who can be pretty stubborn. It was like yeah I don't know anything I just work in early childhood education. :)

Brooke McKay

12/5/2018 10:30:51 pm

One of the hardest things about working with families is working with different parenting styles. it makes it hard sometimes to make conversation and get help from the parents. One of the best things about working with families however is the diversity. I love getting to know all different types of families and their cultures,religions, parenting styles, about them and their families. Make life interesting

Kellan Walls

12/5/2018 11:29:10 pm

One of the hardest parts of the relationship with families is having a caregiver who will not accept or even acknowledge your advice. For example, I have a child in my class who we believe has ADHD. Their parents however refuse to have testing for this, and it is upsetting having to discipline them so much when their acting up is likely not their fault a lot of the time. There are certain boundaries that can not be crossed, and when a common ground can't be reached it is very difficult. On the upside, one of the best parts is finding that common ground and seeing results. When the families and caretakers work together to find solutions, it gives the child so many more opportunities to learn and grow.

Sheridan Zimmerer

12/5/2018 11:45:02 pm

A hard part is trying to explain a concern I have for a student who is struggling developmentally. One of the best parts is growing a friend relationship with parents.

Jiso Chong

12/6/2018 02:22:14 pm

I agree with you. It is very hard for me to share a concern of a student who is struggling developmentally. You have to be very careful of approaching to his/her families. They are very defensive and most of them are in denial.

Nicole Marie Zimmerer

12/5/2018 11:45:21 pm

Trying to express a concern about circumstances at home that may be having adverse effects on a child both in and out of school

lily

12/6/2018 12:21:38 pm

best part is makng friends with and playing with the kids. worst part is when the kids rip out your hair or step over boundaries that you set.

Jiso Chong

12/6/2018 02:20:20 pm

The hardest part will be sharing the concerns of the child. When a child needs a consistent reminder of his or her behavior. It is not pleasant news to share with their families. The best part would be seeing and witnessing how they grow up. When their families are satisfied with our service and trust you. That is the most rewarding part.

Sheena Brackett

12/6/2018 03:13:00 pm

one of the most challenging parts of working with families is telling them when their child has done something to hurt another friend.
one of the best parts working with families seeing the smile on their face when they pick their child up

Cameron Gruensfelder

12/6/2018 03:36:55 pm

Best part is forming bonds with the parents and children. The worst part is when they transfer

Sophia

12/7/2018 06:42:08 am

One of the worst parts is figuring out how to communicate with each family and reaching an agreement for how to keep the childs development moving forward.

The best part is when you finally do!

Elizabeth Mahoney

12/7/2018 08:18:27 am

One of the hardest things that we have to do with parents, is telling them day after day that their child still had a hard day at school. I feel frustrated that I can't help more. The parent feels the same way.

One of the best things about working with the families is having a good bond with them. One of my families has told me that the child always ask when I'm going to babysit next. Not only do I have a strong relationship with the child but the family as well.

Kathleen Adams

12/7/2018 12:24:07 pm

One of the toughest things is parents not wanting to talk about there child behavior. For example when there is a child who has behavioral problems and you have tried multiple times to set up a meeting so we can discuss what we can do as a team to help the child and they just keep rescheduling. One of the best parts are the parents that are really involved in there childs learning

Genesis Kelley

12/7/2018 02:25:05 pm

I think one of the most difficult things about working with families is the talks we have to have with them. Some times a child is having a hard time in class and it can be uncomfortable to tell the parents how their child has been acting. One of the best parts is showing and telling the parents about their child's growth and development.

Lucy

12/8/2018 12:39:52 pm

I think one of the most challenging parts of working with parents is when we need to communicate with them about red flags occurring with their child. This has happened at my job mostly in relation to behavioral issues with kids. It can be difficult to have that conversation with parents and talk about concerning issues about their child, but it is necessary for the benefit of the child.

One of the best parts of working with parents is seeing the collaboration working between home and school/daycare. Sometimes we will suggest a continuity of behavioral patterns between school and home to improve the child's behavior, and it is really rewarding when the parents get on board and see the results.

Emily DenBleyker

12/8/2018 10:36:30 pm

It's really challenging when I see a student struggling with something but the family doesn't seem willing to work with us to help them. For example, we had a student showed us that she was ready to be potty trained because she would help take off her diaper, would tell us when she needed to be changed, and didn't want to wear a diaper. Her parents refused to potty train her at home because "she was their baby" (they had another younger daughter still at home).

I love when I can make connections with families and learn about their daily lives. It helps me understand my students so much better when I know about their family dynamic, what language they speak at home, what kind of food they eat at home, and more!

Ami McGaughan

12/9/2018 06:42:13 am

probably the most challenging part would be having to tell a parent about some concerns or issues you might be having with there child, and the best part would be if there child had an amazing day and is so helpful and plays with all there friends so well.

Robyn

12/9/2018 01:24:39 pm

One of the challenging things is when a child is new to the program sometimes they are not comfortable bringing up things that would be helpful for the caregivers to know and could help us better understand their child and the way the interact with the environment around them. On the flip side of that is is very rewarding when you finally do build that trust and then be able to work together for the betterment of the child.

jennifer

12/9/2018 01:40:42 pm

It is very challenging when a child exhibits concerning behavior that he/she could only have learned by exposure to that behavior outside of the care center. Addressing aggressive, sexual, and domestic violence issues are the most difficult for me.

I find it so rewarding when I hear the children engaging in conversation with each other and expressing their feelings with each other. Listening to children engage in a meaningful conversation that reflects the philosophies of the school and demonstrates that they are actual listening, watching, learning and repeating the lessons and nurturing they are receiving is so special.

Caitlin

12/9/2018 02:07:48 pm

One of the worst parts is when families don't take the time to listen to what you are saying about their child/ their development. The best part is forming working relationships and bonds with the parents and children.

Emily Snead-Hearing

12/9/2018 06:44:33 pm

One of the most challenging parts is when a parent dismisses concerns I might have about their child, even when presented in a positive way with observational evidence. One of the most rewarding parts is being able to share the milestones with the family, such as a baby crawling for the first time or a preschooler learning the alphabet.

Amanda Bird

12/9/2018 09:58:12 pm

The hardest part for me is what goes unsaid or is left assumed. This can be the most damaging. A mother might assume I dont care about keeping her daughter warm when she sees her baby without socks at pick up time, when actually her baby pulls the socks off immediately etc. Tid bits about the day or minor details can reassure a parent and prevent them from thinking that you are clueless.

I think a lot of families are so clever. The more I learn about them, the more I learn about things I can take home to my own family weather it is traditions like "elf on a shelf" or style of blues music that family enjoys etc.. getting to know them benefits my ability to relate to them.

Kalab Holm

12/9/2018 10:57:15 pm

One thing I struggle with when trying to work with families is trying to make sure I am doing similar learning that they do at home to help their child. And one thing that I'm good at is communication you cant really get to know a family or get a families trust without communication I also think communication is a big key when working at a early learning center

martha rocio garcia de leon

12/10/2018 12:00:27 am

one of the most challenge on the child behavior is when caregiver write a child behavior report and the family don't care about ,they just sing and always on hurry.

Hannah

12/10/2018 12:16:37 pm

one of the most challenging parts about working with families is when they dont give you all the information needed to care for the child. like if a child has a special need such as autism. One of the best parts is being able to be apart of a childs developmental growth.

Kaitlynn McCabe

12/10/2018 08:40:39 pm

The biggest challenge for me is having to have those hard conversations with parents about their child who might be making some bad choices or repeating the same negative behavior. The best thing is being able to watch those same children grow and learn from that behavior and completely turn it around.

Alexa

12/11/2018 12:13:15 pm

A challenge that often arises is when a caregiver has to communicate a behavioral issue with the parent. Sometimes the parent is unwilling to accept what I tell them and they become defensive. Although it is difficult, it is important for the parents to know behavioral reports and red flags that arise.

Jessica Haley

12/11/2018 12:13:24 pm

Hardest part is maintaining a professional relationship with parents. Easiest part is getting to talk to them about their child and telling them all the wonderful things they do in class.

Krista Webb

12/11/2018 02:32:22 pm

I would say the hardest part is speaking with a parent when their child is having a difficult time. The best part is being able to tell the parents that their child is working hard to overcome those obstacles.

Tonya Campbell

12/11/2018 05:07:59 pm

The hardest part is communicating with parents when there is a problem that needs to be addressed whether behavior or developmental.

The best part is sharing their childrens accomplishments with them, especially if it was an earlier problem.

Angelia Way

12/12/2018 09:39:15 am

The hardest part is having to tell the parents when their child is acting out in class with other children.
2. The best part is being able to share with the parents the child's accomplishment.

jenny ovalle

12/12/2018 08:35:26 pm

the hardest for me would have to be having a conversation with a parent about their child being defiant
best part would have to be sharing there child's milestones with the families

kendra

12/12/2018 09:12:45 pm

the most challenging thing is having to go to a parent with a concern about how a child is acting or a red flag in development. alternately the most rewarding thing is being able to go to a parent to share a success story or a proud moment for their child.

Suman Dogra

12/12/2018 10:20:00 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is around sharing any concerns about kids growth and behaviors in the classroom because it could be possible that kid behaves completely different based on audience. Good, healthy and productive conversation with parents builds the trust and helps us to make better environment for kids to overcome the challenge.

Taylor

12/13/2018 11:26:58 am

The most challenging part is communicating any behavioral problems to the family, especially if it is a repeated behavior. However, the best part is seeing the child grow and being able to express excitement and share new milestones with the family.

Cassandra Guenther

12/13/2018 11:58:49 am

One of the hardest things with working with families is thoes families who are either always in a rush and dont seem to want ro take time to talk or language barrier issues. The best thing woth working woth families is seeing how the parent and child interact

Charli Glidden

12/13/2018 01:49:48 pm

One of the most difficult things about working with families for me is working with parents that are not together. Oftentimes families will try to get you to side with one or the other, or ask for information about the other parent that I am not comfortable sharing. One of my favorite parts of working with families is building relationships so that we feel comfortable talking to one another. I have a mom that hugs me every day when she drops her daughter off, and always asks how my day was at pick up time. It makes work feel like home, which is beneficial to everyone involved.

Alaethia

12/13/2018 04:40:35 pm

One of the hardest parts of working with families and children is relating troubles during the day to parents. It can feel hard to tell parents their children are struggling and sometimes the child can feel betrayed. One of the easiest things about working in childcare is seeing the growth and development of a child and sharing that joy with parents.

Yeimi

12/13/2018 09:45:47 pm

One of the charges about working with different families is having to have a difficult conversations about certain needs for their child. One of my favorite things is being able to share the accomplishments of their child with a parents.

Kate

12/14/2018 08:27:18 am

One of the worst parts of working with families is having to have multiple negative meetings with parents, especially when they are resistant to the resources I offer. The best part is sharing their child's improvements and accomplishments.

kayla

12/14/2018 02:36:06 pm

One of the most challenging parts about working with families for me would have to be having tough and honest conversations about their child who is having so behavioral issues but than seeing the child transform into having good behavior and develop listening skills is one of the best parts.

Jennifer Hanson

12/14/2018 05:48:27 pm

I think one of the most challenging things with working with parents is if you see a part where a child is struggling and you try to tell the parent and they don't want to face it or admit it so they find it hard to accept the information you give them. It's important to find the best way to approach them and be able to share with them without making them feel intimidated or criticized. One of the best things
One of the best parts about working with families is if they are on board with your plan of action for their child and asking questions about how they can be involved in the Childs learning at home. I also love being able to tell them when there child succeeded most especially if they had been having issues in an area being able to tell the parent how they conquered that issue and are succeeding is the best.

Sheryl Johnson

12/14/2018 08:23:50 pm

The most difficult part for me is that I have a red flag child, I suspect autism but the parents will not even entertain the notion. The most rewarding for me is when I see one of the children accomplishing a simple task but one they were not previously able to complete on their own.

Kayla

12/14/2018 09:04:31 pm

In my personal experience I have a family at my center who are brother and sister who are both in my class their family has gone through some major changes at home with parents splitting up, moving out, and introducing new people into the children's lives, As these changes at home have been happening at home both children have had major behavior changes. so I have had to talk to the mother and seeing her get upset that their children who are great kids are struggling with what's going on at home and that its changing their normally excellent behaviors at school. Listening to the mother be upset about her personal life and kids is probably the most difficult because its hard to see familys struggle and difficult to watch the children try to process it in their own ways. On the other side of these situations is the best part of communication with the families is when you find the best way to help the children with the help of the families help and then witnessing the child behavior and happiness come back. Then when the parents come in to here about their kids day behaviors improving and the parents and chidren getting so excited over that!

Mariam Worrell

12/15/2018 01:49:25 pm

One of the most challenging parts is having to talk to parents about behavioral issues since it can make them feel like they have failed as a parent.
One of the best parts is telling the parents about a story of what their child learned or if they reached one of their goals.

Michelle

12/15/2018 03:23:49 pm

One of the most challenging things is talking to families about when their child has been acting out, sharing difficult situations or behaviors we're working on such as pushing or yelling. One of the best parts is when we can share a happy or positive experience, such as telling them about their child helping another.

Ryan

12/15/2018 03:47:33 pm

The hardest part is talking to parents who clearly don't respect our jobs. They view us as glorified babysitters, despite the fact that we all work much longer hours, for way less pay. It's really demeaning, especially considering how much time and energy we put into helping raise their children.
The best part is being able to joke with parents, who clearly value us, and clearly want to establish bonds with the teachers.

Sydney Vahl

12/16/2018 03:08:20 pm

i would say that one of the most challanging parts of working with families is that you really have to take their perspective at face value and within the context of their life. This can be very difficult to do, especially if you are concerned about a child. However the best part about working with families is that sme unique perspective that they give. A child may be very shy and quite at school but light up when at home and the parents are the ones to see what brings that out.

Jessica Rodriguez-Diaz

12/16/2018 04:57:45 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families can be having to talk to certain parents every day about their child's behavioral problems almost daily. Some parents also seem to be in a rush. One of the best is when you inform a parent about something new their child has done/has demonstrated they can do and seeing their family members face light up with excitement.

angela

12/16/2018 05:08:42 pm

One of the most challenging parts of working with families is trying to communicate with certain parents that are always in a rush and don't seem very interested in building a relationship. One of the best parts is getting to know the families and having conversations with them about their weekend, their other kids and life in general.

signe

12/16/2018 07:25:30 pm

sometimes its difficult to bring up a behavior issue with parents because they can feel defensive or guilty like your saying they arent doing their job, but the best is when you can problem solve with them and the result is for example getting the infant into better sleep patterns and everyone feels supported and it worked !

Amanda Harris

12/17/2018 01:24:02 pm

One of the worst things for me is when the parent acts like their child doesnt have a listening problem when they do. It is hard when the parents have excuses for their child's behavior and seems to not discipline them at home, its like they aren't even trying to work with you on their behavior. One of the best things is just building that relationship with the family so you can better help the child develope. Or seeing how much parents genuinely love their child and want them to succeed.

Eileen Doherty

12/17/2018 03:11:23 pm

One of the most challenging aspects of communication with parents is, of course, when a child's negative behavior is extreme and regular in occurrence, negatively affects others, and is apparently not responsive to attempts at school to teach and guide positive choices instead. It is best to review the issue with the center director, have data as to when and why (environmentally) this behavior seems to be provoked in school (if that is the case). It's a very sensitive issue, and the director of the school may have guidelines to follow in this type of discussion, along with information for the teacher regarding next steps and other resources to suggest or try. It's always best to start the conversation with talking about the child's most positive qualities, and then mention your concerns and ideas, then ask the parent for input.

A favorite type of conversation with a parent is letting them know when their child did, said or experienced that day that was insightful and revealing about what they are learning and enjoying doing at school.

Cheyanne

12/17/2018 04:07:20 pm

One of the hardest things to communicate with parents about is if the child is having a really hard time with behavioral issues. It is hard when the parent is already frustrated at the child and is feeling hopeless and at the end of their rope. When the parent is unwilling to listen or work with the caregiver that makes for a difficult situation.
The best part about working with families is building those very secure connections that really makes you feel like you are integrated into the child's family and you know you are an important figure in their life.

Tami McDonald

12/17/2018 06:54:42 pm

I don't have any interaction with the families as I am the part-time cook. I feel it would be hard to let families know if there are hard things going on but fun to let them know when their child is progressing.

Naomi Summer

12/17/2018 08:36:51 pm

I think it can be hard dealing with families who don't have trust or confidence in the caregivers and are always questioning everything or not cooperating with what they are doing.

I think the best part is when you can really work together as a team with the parents for the good of your child. And when they see how their child is thriving and loving school, and they share their appreciation for you and what you do.

sarah

12/18/2018 11:18:43 am

One of the most difficult aspects of working with parents is to meet the needs and expectations of each family. Some parents are very easy going and communicative, and some parents are not. Talking about sensitive topics to parents who are more critical or closed off can be anxiety provoking.
The best part of working with parents is when you can both share in the joy of the positive development and growth of their child. To feel included as an important and special part of the child's life and make lasting connections with families makes the challenges worthwhile.

Hayley Aman

12/18/2018 06:05:49 pm

I’d say one the most challenging things with working with the parents is the when they aren’t willing to work together when it Comes to certain things. Like potty training. They don’t understand that the child is going to have accidents or when they are sleeping and have an accident that it isn’t our fault. They act like when a child has an accident in their sleep that it’s our fault. Or when you have a really picky parent. One of the best parts working with the parents is that thats really the only adult conversation youhave allday. Also its nice because yiu can see what the child acts like at home..

Brandi

12/18/2018 08:28:01 pm

One of the most difficult things about working with parents is when there is a concern about a child's behavior, but the parent doesn't engage in the conversation and doesn't follow through on correcting the issue at home. One of the best parts of working with parents is when you get to show and express a child's accomplishments and seeing the pride it gives them.

Ana Maslovaric

12/18/2018 09:22:37 pm

Challenging may be when parents are not aware what is an appropriate developmental stage for their child's age and may insist on some learning that is way ahead of that stage, trying to make pressure on child and teachers to work on it.
And I think it is a wonderful thing when parents choose to support their child, together with teachers, whatever the need may be.

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Discussion: Challenges Working with Parents * Module 5 Page 7 (3/9)

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