Polly Bath: As a parent, if you have had difficulty in school at any time in your life, how are you feeling when you go to a school meeting because there isn’t something quite right with your child?

Realistically, you are defensive. You’re carrying your baggage from when you were a kid into that school meeting.

So, we need to make sure to dial it down. Say to yourself, “OK. No matter what comes at me, I have to think about how I’m going to respond to them. What is in the best interest of my child? Is it in his/her best interest for me to create a fight, create a barrier between me and the school ? Or… Should I stop, think, process what’s going on, and think of a different alternative response?”

We need to remember, response is EVERYTHING!