Your child might come home from school and say some troubling things about their teacher. “My teacher hates me. I can’t do anything right!” “I’m so messy, and she tells me that I just can’t get my space cleaned up.”

If you’re hearing things like this, it’s usually a sign that there’s some challenge between your child and their teacher.

These can be difficult issues to navigate, but there are strategies to manage teacher troubles. Tune in to this episode of Parenting Behavior with Dr. Andy Kahn for ways to help.

Related resources

• 9 steps to take if the teacher hurts your child’s feelings
• My child’s teacher is mean to her. What can I do?
• 8 steps to advocating for your child at school

Timestamps

(00:44) Figuring out your child’s perceptions

(01:51) Validating your child’s feelings

(05:29) Validating the teacher’s experience

(07:03) How to find solutions

(09:13) How challenges can help kids grow and thrive

(10:42) What to do if the situation is really bad

We’d love to hear from you. You can email us at ParentingBehavior@understood.org.

A transcript for this episode is available on Understood.org.

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Parent-teacher conferences can seem like high-pressure events.

There are only 10 or 15 minutes, at most, for you and the teacher to discuss many important things. Plus you want to keep things positive and the teacher engaged. It’s a lot to consider.

On this episode of Parenting Behavior, host Dr. Andy Kahn will talk about some things you can do to make the conference as successful as possible.

Related resources

• 3 ways I engage my child in parent-teacher conferences
• Teachers weigh in: What I wish parents asked at parent-teacher conferences
• Listen: How to make the most of parent-teacher conferences
• Download: Parent-teacher conference worksheet

Timestamps

(00:54) Basic ways to prepare before the conference

(02:29) Advance communication

(04:44) How to prepare emotionally

(08:16) Special considerations for neurodivergent kids

We’d love to hear from you. You can email us at ParentingBehavior@understood.org.

A transcript for this episode is available on Understood.org.

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Learning challenges in kids can be really tricky to spot.

It can be hard to tell whether your child can’t do something, or if they just won’t. And sometimes it’s not clear what’s an in-the-moment challenge and what’s a pattern.

On this episode of Parenting Behavior, host Dr. Andy Kahn will explain how to spot what might be a learning difference in your child.

We’d love to hear from you. You can email us at ParentingBehavior@understood.org.

A transcript for this episode is available on Understood.org.

Related resources

• What are learning and thinking differences?
• The difference between learning disorder and learning disability
• Learning disabilities: What they are and aren’t
• Kids with multiple learning and thinking differences: What you need to know

Timestamps

(0:53) How to gather good data

(1:57) Looking for patterns

(3:09) Using homework to find clues

(5:37) How to spot motor or physical difficulties

(7:29) Why frustration can be a good thing

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give