“Your Kid Is Lying To You”: Teachers Share 40 Harsh Truths Parents Really Need To Hear

Tell your kids no. Tell them no often. No, they don't need a "yes" day. No, it will not traumatize them. Tell them no, get them used to it. NOW, like right now!!

Your child is acting out because it is the first time that they have encountered boundaries. I am not a mean teacher, nor am I picking on your child; I have rules and expectations.

Your 8 year old shouldn't be on Tik Tok unmonitored....or at all.

Please read to your kids. Take them to the library. Sign them up for summer reading programs. Give them books instead of tablets. Help them find material that is suited to their interests. 

Remedial reading programs can help, but a lack of home support for developing literacy is the root of the problem. .

You didn’t just have a “baby”. You are raising a future adult, who will need to be self-sufficient, responsible, polite, tolerant and caring. Stop babying your kids! Teach them how to tie their shoes, say “please and thank you” and that they aren’t always right and/or in charge!

You’re the parent. Being a parent means you make the hard decisions. An elementary school child does not need the responsibility of deciding what to eat- you provide healthy food. They don’t need the responsibility of deciding what to study- you sit down with them and help them learn. They don’t need to decide if they take their medicine-you make that decision. You decide bed time. You decide screen time. Children cannot make these choices yet because they are children. They need the responsibility of broccoli or peas, bikes or the park, which book to read together, which shirt to wear. So many parents seems to think “gentle parenting” means letting them make all the choice, and it just isn’t. Grown ups have to be grown ups and do the hard things so kids can be healthy, safe kids.

You did not, in fact, "turn out just fine.".

Please teach your kids basic manners and etiquette.

The fact that I have to teach 14 year olds about simple "please", "thank you", and eye contact is mind-boggling.

You chose to have kids. Choose to parent them well.

I can’t get them to do their homework. How could I indoctrinate them into becoming LGBTQ+ antifa furries?

When your child speaks, you have to acknowledge it. You can say no after they're done speaking; you can even be silent. But YOU MUST acknowledge that they spoke to another human.

We can't fix your failures as a parent.

Seeing a lot of (understandable) behavioral comments here, so I'll add something new to the list:

"When you build a family culture that DEMANDS good grades, you aren't encouraging learning. You're encouraging your kid to try to game the system out of fear. It undercuts what I'm trying to do in the classroom.".

Your kid is lying to you.

We are employees and much of what we do is dictated to us.

If you don't think Starbucks should put iced coffee in plastic cups because it's bad for the environment, don't yell at the barista about it. (And don't go on social media to tell everyone what a moron she is.)

Parents often assume teachers have more power than we actually do.

Your child does not need a phone.

Stop trying to be friends with your kids. You can be "friendly" to your kids; minors don't have to be treated like transactional trash, which was (arguably) a prevalent parenting style with a disproportionate number of parents in years gone by. However, kids need structure and boundaries so firm but fair is acceptable. Hold them accountable and set the bar high. Don't let them sit in front of screens at young ages. Model appropriate digital behavior. MAKE kids accept responsibility for their mistakes and stop blaming everyone else or displacing blame when it squarely lies on them for making poor choices. Read to them and with them at young ages. Instill in them a love of learning. Please give them a loving and supportive home environment and leave your toxic trauma out of their domain.

Peer pressure is a powerful thing. Yes, your “little angel” did / say that. Knock off the “Not my baby!” nonsense.

Just because I'm a professional doesn't mean you can scream at me.

Stop doing your kids work for them. It helps no one.