April 4, 2022 | 6:30 – 8:00 PM | Online. Children come to us not as fully independent humans, but rather as members of families. Parents are their first teachers, a role they will continue to play even as classroom teachers come and go. For many educators, however, families frequently show up as “challenges.” Parents love their children and want what is best for them, but their lack of experience often leads them to make inappropriate demands or have unrealistic expectations. This tendency is becoming more pronounced as developmentally inappropriate and scientifically unsupported early education theories bounce around the internet. Modern definitions of what it means to be a “good” parent are creating undue pressures for children, parents, caregivers, and educators. Teacher Tom discusses how this phenomenon has evolved, how it impacts our work, and what we can do about it as educators. He will show how to improve the lives of the children we work with by educating their parents and turning them into partners and allies.