| As the phone rings, you know exactly who it is. It is | | | | because they were willing to do the hard work to give |
| your child's school calling again to discuss your child's | | | | their children a better chance to succeed in life. |
| behavior. You think for a second and wonder how it | | | | If you are the parent of an out of control child, as a |
| went wrong. When your child was born you had great | | | | teacher, I can tell you that the education system does |
| plans of coaching soccer, camping trips, and all of the | | | | a great disservice to children with behavior problems. |
| fun things that families do together. But now all of that | | | | Each year teachers and principles make excuses and |
| seems impossible because of your out of control child. | | | | change the rules for these children. All of the other |
| So the real question, the one you should be asking, is, | | | | students in a classroom are expected to sit quietly in |
| "Are you going to let things continue down this path?" | | | | their seats, but the child with the behavior problem is |
| Let me tell you a secret that school administrators and | | | | allowed to roam freely. As long as he isn't hurting |
| doctors might not tell you -- it is possible to bring an out | | | | anyone or being too disruptive is the justification. |
| of control child back under control. It will be difficult. It will | | | | While this may help an out of control child to succeed |
| be frustrating at times. It is a long process. But I have | | | | in elementary school, what happens as he or she |
| seen parents with an out of control child (that many | | | | reaches high school or gets a job? The unfortunate |
| considered a lost cause) change that child's behavior | | | | truth is that if the behaviors are not brought under |
| radically. The transformations are truly dramatic, and in | | | | control while a child is still young, the child will usually |
| some cases breath-taking. Seeing a successful, | | | | grow up to be a statistic. It is not too late for you to |
| well-behaved fourth grader and remembering that he | | | | help your out of control child to gain control of his or |
| used to be a completely out of control child is an | | | | her behavior and to give them a better future. But |
| awesome sight as a teacher. I have so much respect | | | | please act now, before it is too late. |
| for the parents involved in these transformations | | | | |