Two different kinds of parents...

I was JUST having this conversation today with my health aide! You are not alone!

So ready for break! Today i had a father come to me very irate! Child was sent home yesterday w suspected pink eye which has been running rampant in my school. The child had a well child visit today to complete immunizations so it was not an unnecessary extra visit w added co-payment etc. Dad threw the doctors note in my face and accused me of being incompetent to diagnose pink eye. Told him i don't diagnose just report symptoms which was a red eye w exudate. Dad threatened to call the superintendent if i call him one more time this school year. Told him i couldn't guarantee that i wouldn't call him if his children were ill or injured and that he may call the super if he feels so inclined to do so. could tell the minute he showed up at my door that things weren't going to go good. As a result i sent an email to my principal that i will never meet with that parent alone again as i felt very threatened by his actions. His whole point was to show me that i was wrong and that his child didn't have pink eye. Most parents would be happy about this. Some days you just can't win!

I saw this thread title and immediately read it is as "A Tale of Two Parents."

But momto5RN, I feel you. I think we have been there. I've been yelled at by a parent in a meeting I asked the principal to join us for. Luckily, the principal and I are on the same page.

I am fortunate to only have a handful of parents that are adversarial. I have one father who literally scowls every time he sees me. His son, the one with a toothache for 3 months that was not dealt with, came to me after being hit in the mouth, but, of course he only tells me his mouth hurts. Ends up a student hit him. I had 6 deep students at the time and I gave him an ice cube to suck on which he did for a minute then left. He is the reason I MUST email every visit. If anyone should be doing the scowling, it is me.

Anyone seen the hybrid, "call me every time but I have a disconnected number" parents? What even? Or "call me every time but get annoyed with every call as I realize my kid is a FF"?

Some days I just sit at my desk and laugh at the ridiculous people I encounter.

I am fortunate to only have a handful of parents that are adversarial. I have one father who literally scowls every time he sees me. His son, the one with a toothache for 3 months that was not dealt with, came to me after being hit in the mouth, but, of course he only tells me his mouth hurts. Ends up a student hit him. I had 6 deep students at the time and I gave him an ice cube to suck on which he did for a minute then left. He is the reason I MUST email every visit. If anyone should be doing the scowling, it is me.

Ugh. I'm sure someone saw that incident, did they think to follow-up/though on it besides just sending the student to you without any background?

Or course, that is rhetorical, because I have been sent students like that more than a few times. The second I hear "someone hit me or I hit someone else" or any variation, I make that kid sit and not leave until I can loop in our Dean of Students. But if they don't share. Ugh.

YES!! I had to call on one head injury who was c/o h/a and neck pain yesterday and dad interrupted me and said "Is he bleeding? (No) Is he conscious?" (Yes) "Good, tell him to shake it off."

Sir, while I appreciate you not overreacting, I still have to do my job and let you know my assessment.

Then another head bump parent the same day, not a mark to be seen and mom was FREAKING out. Ugh.

Anyone seen the hybrid, "call me every time but I have a disconnected number" parents? What even? Or "call me every time but get annoyed with every call as I realize my kid is a FF"?

Some days I just sit at my desk and laugh at the ridiculous people I encounter.

That is what I was thinking when I first read this thread!

When I first was hired, I had a mother come in and scream at me for not calling her about her daughter (who was suffering from Status dramatacus). So I started to call every time, and after 2 weeks she came in and told me she had a long talk with her daughter about only seeing me for life threatening things. lol

You are not alone!

I have two parents with whom I will never have a conversation without a third party present. One's kid is here right now and I had to call her. Perfectly pleasant. It's like she didn't yell at me and call me incompetent and complain to the superintendent two months ago! But then I keep reminding myself that 1) I do my job every day not to please parents but to be the best nurse I can be; and 2) every day is a new day.

Hang in there. Summer is coming. (Said in my best George RR Martin/Sean Bean voice.)

That is what I was thinking when I first read this thread!

When I first was hired, I had a mother come in and scream at me for not calling her about her daughter (who was suffering from Status dramatacus). So I started to call every time, and after 2 weeks she came in and told me she had a long talk with her daughter about only seeing me for life threatening things. lol

BWHAHAHAHA!!!

I'm fortunate to have pretty great parents, for the most part. Sure there's some I want to throat punch every now & then...and there's some that I'm sure I've irritated on occasion. I've not (yet) had one chew me out. I really don't know what I would do. I need to work on my diplomacy, because my first instinct would probably be to tell the person off.

I hate when there are split custody arrangements & parents are telling the kid different things. One says they can't come to me unless they're dying. The other says they'll come get the kid if they sneeze. I can't keep track of whose "day" it is.

The worst?

The worst are the parents who THINK they are the caring parents, but are truly not. It's all for show. To me, that is the most tragic for the child.

I try to remember that these are someone's children, and they may not react the way I do. My plan for my kids was, unless he is crawling through fire and vomit, go back to class. I would expect to be called for stuff like fractures, etc. and head injuries, of course.

My kids didn't go to The Nurse. My Kid comes here now when he wants money!