parental viewpoint

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Home : 2000 : November : 24

parental viewpoint
By jl

Sarah,

Congratulations!!! A baby can bring new joy and wonder to your life-- being a parent is an experience that is to be treasured.

As for school, it is a somewhat tricky situation.
You will need support from your
administrator for addressing the parents. But first, I guess some questions should be considered: Is your job secure? Do you have tenure? If not, be careful about issues related to job discrimination. See your union rep before you speak to your administrator. Second, what grade level do you teach? If your children are young, not being married may not be an issue for them, but older

children might be more "aware." (I hope that sounds right). Finally, consider this: Certainly, you must have some children in your class who do not come from a family where mom and dad are married or live together, or perhaps some kids who don't know their mom or dad at all. If some parents "object", remind them that we live in a society that is full of different types of families and some of these families exist right within our community. If they still object, I guess you could get a little more forceful and suggest that being pregnant does not change your role as a teacher--you have mastered the curriculum, you are experienced in the field, and you know what you are doing. Being pregnant does not change that! Another thought--if your children are in an early primary grade, a nice theme on different types of families may be an appropriate way to introduce the fact that you are expecting, but as for the married issue--it really doesn't have to come up.

I don't know if I've given you any helpful advice at all--I don't know if your community/school is "small town", what your parents are like, etc. I would hope that the parents and administration respect you enough to support you in this magical time. The lesson to be learned here for all parents and adults who question you is that we live in a society that needs to be open and accepting to the choices people make in their lives, and hopefully, your parents will be.

Good luck. May you have a healthy, happy, and blessed pregnancy.