Since WHEN can't kids go to Open house at school?

[ThreeMusketeers]

Need to VENT:
We were the rebel parents that "accidentally" brought our daughter to open house at school tonight.
I guess we didn't read the paper close enough or we just ASSUMED that since we always went to ours as kids..she would be allowed to go. (OUR BAD)
Anyway..they weren't allowed, the teacher (whom we had never met before) COPPED A HUGE ATTITUDE with us, for bringing our daughter along.(the one who is in her class)

She didn't come right out and say it but she was very rude, asking us to WAIT IN THE HALL while she spoke to another teacher and we saw her roll her eyes. My husband felt awkward, so he took her outside to play on the playground, and she didn't stop him. She just said okay.
I would have said, "OH no big deal, here's a book Sally..you look this over quietly while we go over some things." I wouldn't have made the parents feel bad and awkward.
This was our first time meeting her!
Don't get me wrong it was our fault. But jeez..it was a mistake, and this is SCHOOL. It's not like we brought her to a bar or something.

DO I send the teacher an apology note or what? I like to have good communication with the teachers my daughter has, and I hate that this has gotten off on such a bad foot. THe woman was just snarky.

 

[MushyMushy]

Nah, just ignore it. Sounds like she had a long day and blew it way out of proportion. If I were you, I wouldn't think another thing of it. Easier said than done, I know.

I have to say, though, that some of my kids BEST teachers were the worst in adult interactions. They seemed so rude and snarky with adults, but once you saw them in action in the classroom, they were incredible.

As long as she's good with your child, no big deal.

 

[dahirsh]

I'm almost 40 and my parents never took me or my older siblings. It was an adult event.

 

[MM27]

As a teacher, I hate when parents bring their children along. Other parents are there to hear what I have to say about the upcoming year. It is very distracting when kids are in the room, especially when they don't sit quietly, and the parents don't say anything to them. I have had years where it got so bad that I told all the kids to wait in the hallway until I was done. I don't think you need to apologize, but try to understand the teacher's position too.

 

[hereyago]

No, do not write her a apology note. I have never heard of that and personally, if the student "isn't allowed" to come to open house that was to meet their teachers, my kids wouldn't be going to that school.

My DD10's school has open house in which she gets a postcard from the teacher for that year saying when and what time Open House is. We go, meet the teacher,etc. Then they have Back to School night about a month later.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

I am a kindergarten teacher and i know my school asks that kids do not come. Our BTS night is on Tuesday so ill find out how it work then

 

[MM27]

Don't the kids already know the teacher?

I took the OP to mean that it was a Back to School night for the parents as school has already been in session for about a week now.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I never knew of a time when kids could go. Our school renamed it Parent Info night, to reiterate that it was a night for parents to get more information. And yes, the few kids who came along were asked to play outside.

There are other nights throughout the year when parents can bring kids and the kids show us around the classroom and show off all the things they have been doing.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

No, do not write her a apology note. I have never heard of that and personally, if the student "isn't allowed" to come to open house that was to meet their teachers, my kids wouldn't be going to that school.

My DD10's school has open house in which she gets a postcard from the teacher for that year saying when and what time Open House is. We go, meet the teacher,etc. Then they have Back to School night about a month later.

I'm just guessing here but I think that the child has already met her teacher since most schools have been in session for at least a week. This open house was probably what some of us would refer to as back to school night.

Kids have never been allowed at back to school night around here, if kids did come there was a room set up (usually the gym I think) that all the kids could go to and there was some sort of supervised activity going on for the kids so the parents could meet the teachers.

 

[lulugirl]

Is open house the same thing as curriculum night? Dd's school always requests "no children". They have a separate "meet the teacher night" for the kids.
I don't think the no children request is at all unreasonable

 

[anniemae]

I wouldn't sweat it, I think you did the right thing by having dh take your dd outside. It showed that you respect the rules and tried to fix your mistake.

 

[clarabelle]

our schools have 2 different nights
1) open house -before school starts -meet the teacher, pay for lunches, meet bus drivers ect....
2) parent orientation a couple of weeks into school. Just parents -talk about homework , class expectations, grading ect..

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I don't think that it is unreasonable either.
BUT....
We made a mistake, we are new to the area. We didn't know the rules, we didn't read the paper close enough.**OUR MISTAKE**.b/c again..at her old schools open house was an event for EVERYONE. Kids walked parents around the teachers talked. No big thing.
My point is...that the teacher was VERY RUDE and handled it in a way to make us feel like we didn't have a brain in our heads. IMO, she could have been a little more understanding.As in Not rolled her eyes and gone on to talk about it with another teacher in the room, like we couldn't hear her. And toned it down a bit. There were other parents there with babies and young, young kids..but we seemed to be the only ones she gave the cold shoulder too????

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I wouldn't sweat it, I think you did the right thing by having dh take your dd outside. It showed that you respect the rules and tried to fix your mistake.

Thank you, I am all on the defense. Just made me so mad tonight, it was such a long day. lol Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Nancy]

Open house was always adults only, no one ever brought kids.

That said, the teacher could have used a bit more tact handling the whole thing. A very polite, I'm sorry but could <insert name> please wait in the hallway or even asking nicely if you all could wait a bit to talk to her/him would have been much better. There was a little bit of unprofessionalism going on there.

 

[Kae]

Our Back to school nite does include the kids-we did not take the kids this year because DS had Football & DD play practice. It was kinda weird. Normally the kids take us to their class, show us their seat & intoduce us to the teacher. Then we go to the gym for dessert.

Kae

 

[lovetoscrap]

Wow. I have never heard of NOT bringing your kids. I have taught in several districts and my kids have been in 2 districts and I would never occur to me to leave them home.

We just got home from the Middle School Back to School Night and took both or our kids, 7th grade and 3rd grade. DH and I both like to go to BTS night --it is usually his only chance to meet the teachers, and I feel like I need to be there since I am the parent that deals with the school and any issues. There is no way I am paying a babysitter so we could both go.

You know the schools whine about not getting enough parent involvement but then make stupid rules like this! What are single parents supposed to do with their kids? They should be glad for all the parents they get to come--especially when both parents want to be involved.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

In MO and TX "open house" always included the kids.
Our elementaries never had a "parent night".
You dropped off supplies, met the teacher, etc...

So, I can understand it can be confusing, esp if it is labeled "open house". Hello....name it "parents night".

 

[imabrat]

I've never heard of kids not going to open house. I'm thinking open house means different things in different parts of the country.

Here kids bring their parents to school to meet their teachers, see the classrooms, go through their lockers, yada yada. I've always gone to open house and none of my teachers have ever minded, a lot of my peers are there too. They even encourage it, they open the book fair so kids can get their books then rather than taking time out of class to do it.

 

[C.Ann]

Kids are encouraged to accompany parents here..