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It can be hard being a parent – especially when your little one is upset or feeling down.
And, we all know that sometimes life throws curve balls which you can’t protect your kids from no matter how hard we try.
As children start heading back to school this month it can be a worry when they’re not feeling up to it or when something at home is causing stress.
But, most of the time they have to attend anyway…
So, Facebook users were thrilled to see one teacher’s special way of helping struggling kids at her school – and parents praised her idea.
Primary school educator Rachel Harder doesn’t need to know what’s going on at home, but simply asks to know if she needs to “handle with care”.
The teacher, from Kansas, USA, handed out a letter to the parents of her students which has been shared all over social media.
The note says: “Handle with care.
“If your family is experiencing difficulty at home, I would like to provide additional support at school.
“I understand that you are not always able to share details and that’s Okay.
“If your child is coming to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend, please text me, ‘Handle with Care’.
“Nothing else will be said or asked.
“This will let me know that your child may need extra time, patience or help during the day.”
The idea came to Rachel after she attended a trauma conference.
(Image: Getty Images)
She told Fox News: “There was a discussion how police stations across the country have started partnering with schools so that when they have encounters with families in the evenings or on weekends, the police will contact the school – either counsellor or administrator – and let them know to handle a student with care since they had encounters with police beforehand.
“We loved this idea and figured there had to be a way to make this work within our own classroom community.”
And, the teacher said that the payout is “huge”.
She said: “Give them a bit of time and the rest of our day tends to go a bit smoother.
“They can just let me know it was a hard morning.
“I don’t need to know details but parents like that – they know I’m keeping an extra eye on them.:
Rachel usually texts the parents back to let them know how their child’s morning is going.
She said the system is “giving kids the grace we all want after a hard night or morning”.
Would you like your child’s teacher to implement a similar scheme? Tell us in the comments…
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