Dealing with Difficult Parents (Teacher Edition): How to Get Parents Off Your Back and On Your Side

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Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University, USA) Douglas J. Fiore (Ashland University, USA)

Dealing with Difficult Parents (Teacher Edition)

How to Get Parents Off Your Back and On Your Side

Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University, USA), Douglas J. Fiore (Ashland University, USA)

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Paperback

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English

Routledge
13 November 2025

Organisation & management of education; Teacher training

Communicating with parents is one of the most challenging and potentially stressful tasks that educators face daily. Whether trying to resolve a heated argument or delivering bad news, it is essential to know how to handle difficult situations and establish positive relationships with your students’ parents. In this updated third edition of the bestselling book Dealing with Difficult Parents, award-winning educators Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore help you develop a repertoire of tools and skills for comfortable and effective interaction with parents.

The book’s features include:

how to get parents off our backs and on our sides, why and how today’s parents are different yet the same, how the political environment make our jobs more challenging, numerous additional examples of specific ways, language, and approaches to effectively work with parents, tools to help you understand parents’ motivations and how to work with them rather than against them, detailed scripts for dealing with even the most stubborn and volatile parents, and strategies for initiating contact with parents to build positive credibility.

This must-read book will equip you with the skills you need to expertly navigate even the most challenging encounters with parents and walk away feeling that you have made a positive and meaningful impact.

By: Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University USA), Douglas J. Fiore (Ashland University, USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 3rd edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 260g
ISBN: 9781032985992
ISBN 10: 1032985992
Pages: 158
Publication Date: 13 November 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

1. Dealing with Difficult Parents: An Overview Part 1: Understanding Today’s Parents 2. Who Are These Guys? Understanding Parents’ Circumstances 3. Why Aren’t They On Our Side? Understanding Parents’ Perceptions Part 2: How to Get Parents Off Our Backs and Onto Our Sides 4. Building Credibility: Everyone Wants to Associate with a Winner 5. Taking Your Classroom Social: Good News Builds Trust 6. Positive Communication with Parents: An Ounce of Prevention 7. The Power of Consistent, Proactive Parental Communication Part 3: Dealing with Difficult Parents: And Knowing When to Look Inward, Too 8. Initiating Contact with Parents 9. Calm Is Good 10. The Best Way to Get in the Last Word… 11. What If the Parent Is Right? 12. Do You Feel Defensive? If So, Something Is Wrong 13. The Blame Frame Part 4: Dealing with Difficult Situations: The Nicer the Parent, The Harder It Can Be 14. Delivering Bad News 15. But Do Parents Feel They Got a Good Deal? 16. What If They Use the “F” Word—Fair? 17. Focus on the Future 18. Universal Strategies for Challenging Situations 19. Parting Thoughts

Todd Whitaker (@toddwhitaker) is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written 65 books, including the bestseller What Great Teachers Do Differently. He is a former teacher, coach, principal, and is currently a Research Professor at the University of Missouri. . Douglas J. Fiore is Dean of the College of Education at the University of Central Missouri and is author of numerous books, including the popular textbook School-Community Relations, Sixth Edition.