Anyone who’s had experience tutoring children knows, parents can be a tutor’s best friend or worst nightmare. It’s always to have a parent heroically swoops in during a lesson to quell the whines of a disgruntled five year old, saving you the stress of having to take on the task yourself. But not so nice when your second-grader insists on you being wrong about something because “my mom told me so”. For better or for worse, parents are often a student's first teachers, and they play a critical role in their child's education. Learning to work with your young students’ parents effectively can thus be an important aspect of your students’ learning experience and academic success.

Establish Open Communication: The first rule of working with young kids is to have establish effective, two-way communication with the child’s parents. After all, the child is not mature enough to track his or her own progress, and the child’s parents will be very interested in how the child is faring in your class. Communication can be established through regular check-ins, progress reports, and brief feedback sessions. This can help keep parents informed and involved in their child's education.

Set Clear Expectations: It’s a good idea to set clear expectations with parents from the start of their tutoring relationship. This can include discussing goals, timelines, and expected outcomes. You should also be clear about your availability, scheduling policies, and any fees or costs associated with your services.

Collaborate on a Plan: Some parents will come to you with a specific learning request for their child. You should work with parents to develop a plan that supports their child's academic success. This plan can include setting academic goals, identifying areas of weakness, and developing strategies to address those areas. It can be a good idea to involve parents in the planning process to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

Share Resources: Remember to share resources with parents that can support their child's learning outside of tutoring sessions. Feel free to recommend books, online resources, or educational apps that can help reinforce concepts learned in tutoring sessions. Also, make sure your student’s parents are aware of the homework you’re setting – they can help ensure that your student stays on track in completing it.

Celebrate Success: Lastly, celebrate your students’ successes with their parents! Parents naturally take a lot of pride in their offspring’s achievements, so make sure to notify them when your student achieves a goal or makes progress in their academic journey. Pointing out your collective achievements paints you in a great light as a tutor and makes parents more likely to recommend your services to their peers.

While working with parents can be a challenging aspect of a tutor’s job, it’s definitely worth it. Including parents in the student’s academic journey ultimately benefits both your students’ success, and you as a tutor. Let’s face it, it’s great to have someone monitoring in-class behavior and ensuring homework is completed on time. When tutors and parents work together as a team, students can thrive and truly achieve their full potential.