Have you heard of PK's? Preacher's Kids? Well, since I'm a teacher, my children are TK's - Teacher's Kids. And unfortunately they seem to be held to a higher level of expectation than their peers because of it.
I love them - but they drive me crazy!
Our boys have the added bonus of having been homeschooled through elementary school. I know their educational needs better than anyone else, and I know their tricks too!
We're at this critical point where I need to let go and let them either rise to the occasion or fall flat on their faces. They're both in high school and their future is firmly in their hands. Do you know how hard it is for me to let go?
As a teacher I know what gets in a teacher's way and what makes her job easier. So I tell my boys in no uncertain terms that they are to NEVER make a teacher's job harder. Their behavior reflects on our reputation as a family, but it also reflects on me. Boy, does that stink! It would be much easier for me if I weren't a teacher. (1) I wouldn't know all the insider information that makes me crazy, and (2) I could be a normal parent, ignorant of the system, and able to demand that my kids' needs are met without jeopardizing my own reputation in my job or at my school.
But it is what it is.
If it weren't for the mistakes of my children, I'd be a perfect parent! Believe it or not, it's easier to be a great teacher than it is to be a great parent.
So I monitor their progress, stay in contact with their teachers, and point them in the direction of success whenever possible. Wait! Isn't that what most parents do? Maybe my situation isn't so different from yours after all.