A Letter to My Child's Teacher, From 'That Mom'

Dear Teacher/Principal/School Administrator:

When I first started working in special education as a teacher aide eight years ago, I remember being warned about “that mom.” And as I continued on in the field working in different schools in different districts, I would always hear about “that mom” because, as I came to realize, every school has “that mom.” Most schools have several of them. I quickly learned that “that mom” was not a compliment.

You were to stay away from “that mom.” You were supposed to tread lightly around “that mom,” and you were to be very careful about what you say to “that mom.” By the time I became a teacher, I started to warn others about “that mom.”  I hated dealing with “that mom.” So you could imagine the irony when I realized that, in the last few years that I have been dealing with my school district as a parent, I have become “that mom.” And, well, as “that mom,” I feel it’s my duty to clear the air:

It has come to my attention that I am being referred to as “that mom,” and I am here to set the record straight. When I was a teacher, I knew exactly what you meant about “that mom,” and I believed every word of it. “That mom” is a pain. “That mom” tells you how to do your job. “That mom” comes at you with books to read and research to review. “That mom” never seems happy with what you are doing. “That mom” just wants their child to get special treatment. “That mom” doesn’t respect your professional opinion. “That mom” isn’t happy about the services your school provides. “That mom” wants more and cannot just be satisfied by what you have to offer. “That mom” questions everything. “That mom” is constantly asking you for data and information to support what you say. “That mom” brings an advocate to her IEP meetings. “That mom” is overprotective. “That mom” is a trouble maker. “That mom” is every school district’s worst nightmare.

Well, I am here to tell you that I am not “that mom.” Rather, I am “this mom.” “This mom” has a child with extra needs. “This mom” fully understands that the challenges her child faces aren’t the end of the world, but they are enough to make everyday life a bit more challenging. “This mom” has accepted that her child comes with a different set of instructions that aren’t so easy to understand. “This mom” made it her job to become an expert in her child’s challenges so she can teach her to be the best she can be. “This mom” understands that her child’s behaviors could look minimal or be misunderstood, which is why she tries to share her parental experience to help make your job a little easier. “This mom” has years’ worth of data, reports and evaluations to prove that her child’s extra needs do indeed exist, as hard as they are to see.

“This mom” has watched teachers judge her child in a negative way and make her feel badly about things she was unable to control. “This mom” has seen her child question herself, and it was truly heartbreaking.

“This mom” doesn’t think there is anything wrong with her child, and she wouldn’t change her for the world. “This mom” has a child who needs minor accommodations. “This mom” asks for data to back up your recommendations because she has been lied to in the past. “This mom” is trying to make sure her child gets what she is legally entitled to. “This mom” spends more time researching special education law than she wants to. “This mom” is tired. “This mom” is misunderstood.” “This mom” is her child’s only true advocate. “This mom” just wants you to listen.

You see, the day I became a parent, I realized there was this person in the world I cared about more than myself. In an instant I felt this urge to love and protect this person with everything I had inside of me. But then came this realization that at some point this child may deal with pain or hardship, and that is a hard pill to swallow when you have this overwhelming instinct to shield them from anything difficult.

So, as you can see, all I want is for my children to be happy and successful despite all the challenges they face in life. I want what is best for them. I want them to embrace themselves for who they are. And wanting all of these things doesn’t make me “that mom” or “this mom.” It just makes me “mom.”

I hope you can understand my point of view. I want to work with you, not against you. A teacher’s job is often overlooked and undervalued, much like the job of a mother. I hope that we can move forward and work together on creating a happy and well-balanced child. I promise to thank you more and question less. I only ask that you do the same for me.

Sincerely,
A mom

Lead photo source: Thinkstock Images