Day 22: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel (#BEDM).

WHERE THE ACTUAL FUCK DO YOU GET OFF TALKING TO US THAT WAY?

I refer, gentle reader, of course, to parents. PARENTS!

There was a time, long ago, when teachers were respected in their local communities. When their word was valued, their knowledge esteemed and their input prized.

THOSE DAYS ARE GONE.

Now, parents suffer the delusion that they have rights. That their opinion is worth something on account of the fact that they managed to screw for 15 minutes, then squirt out a child.

THIS IS NOT A QUALIFICATION. ANYONE CAN DO THIS. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR OPINION IS OF ANY VALUE.

And yet... AND YET... I get these STUPID letters. These RIDICULOUS phone-calls. These LUDICROUS complaints about the most bizarre nonsense on a daily basis. Today’s example:

‘I am disgusted that you would show a 12A certificate film to my daughter. I know she is 14, and it’s technically allowed, but she is very vulnerable. In my work as a youth worker, I have learned that children progress at different rates and some are not emotionally ready for films at the same time as others. I am disappointed that she was exposed to this film at school, as it is not a film we would watch as a family.’

This is especially stupid, given her constant letters about how her child is so mature, and should be treated like a normal teenager, and should be encouraged to be grown up and pursue grown up interests.

MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND, LOVE.

Also- Youth Worker? Wow- that requires.... no qualifications. I bow to your wisdom and experience in all matters pertaining to this subject you clearly know nothing about.

But it’s not the letters of complaint and baseless opinions I mind, however mindless and over-frequent.

It is the RUDENESS. They talk to us in such an unpardonably offensive way. No manners, no please, thank you, sorry or beg your pardon. Just rude, aggressive rants, and never a word of thanks when we BEND OVER BACKWARDS to do something to help them out, even when it’s nothing to do with school and everything to do with helping them claim benefits, manage their child at home, or resolve family conflicts.

Awful, AWFUL people.

And we are expected to just smile, be professional and TAKE IT.

If they could hear themselves, I bet they wouldn’t even be embarrassed.

Parents have no shame, are completely self-absorbed and are unforgivably rude.

Parents are nasty, nasty people.

They shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near impressionable children.