I'm going to keep this short...since I am getting over a cold.  On Friday, I had a parent conference from hell!  Fortunately, I expected the worse!  Little Miss M., my drama princess, had forewarned me about this conference with her parents.  Dad is going out on deployment and Mom just can't handle seeing him go.  There were no real problems, until he was slated to go.  

Little Miss M sees a therapist and a psychiatrist. She sees a psychiatrist because she takes meds.  The other is for personal reasons.  Supposedly, she had been attacked by students in her preschool class when she was three years old.  Mom exploded like a bloated whale describing how horrible it was and that she did not appreciate Child Protective Services knocking on her door accusing her of child abuse.  It was Little Miss M who had reported to her teacher about Mom abusing her.  But, Mom claims it was her daughter's school mates that had done the deed.

Fortunately, I had planned ahead and sitting with me was our school's counselor writing everything down.  I had a journal with me and had staged it to look like I had been taking notes on Little Miss M.. Mostly, what I had on her was her need to constantly see the nurse for every little ache and pain.  This little girl thirst for attention.

One thing I noticed was that both parents never once checked on their two younger children, whom they brought with them.  I guess they figured their six year old daughter would keep an eye on them.  However, when they called her to the table to ask her several questions, both parents continued to keep their backs turned and still never looked to see what their younger children were doing.

 I have met with a number of parents over the years and never had a parent not look to see what their children were doing.  They usually would turn their chair in a position to carry on a conversation and still be able to keep an eye on their children's activities.  But, not these two.

Perhaps, it's all a set-up.  The dad had been out for a two week excursion before deployment and everyday Little Miss M called her dad to say that she was being bullied at school. Since the little girl sees a psychiatrist and a therapist, surely her father needs to be home and not go out to sea.  Of course, being bullied has not happened in my room and strange that Little Miss M and Mom have claimed that it has been going on, especially during the two weeks Dad has been gone.  I believe they are trying to find a way for Dad not to go out to sea.

Dad knows the routine.  He has been in the Navy for thirteen years.  Maybe, there is a clause about unusual family situations that can keep a sailor from going out and letting him have an extended shore duty.  

Anyway, I was given permission from the building principal before having this meeting to tell them that if they were not satisfied in how problems are handled in my classroom, they could have their child removed.  Twice I told them that they could see the building principal to remove their child from my room, while the counselor had stated the same thing.

Well, the parents did not agree to it!  I really wanted Little Miss M removed from my room.  There is just too much drama.