Some parent conversations are hard work.
Some are draining.
And some… are wins.
✅ The difficult parent walks away smiling.
✅ The hard-to-please parent says “thank you” (and you manage not to fall over in shock!).
✅ The somewhat belligerent parent comes round to your way of thinking — wow!
Those wins are worth more than a moment of quiet satisfaction.
Because here’s the thing:
We often debrief when things go wrong — but not when they go right.
Which means the little gems that really work often stay with one person, in one conversation.
And the rest of the team? They might be facing the exact same parent dynamics — without that winning approach in their toolkit.
Here’s a simple leadership habit:
👉 Make space to share “What worked.”
That could be:
- A quick round in briefing
- A staffroom whiteboard
- A shared document anyone can add to
Do it as often as befits your school and the number of parent issues — every week, every fortnight, or every half term.
Capture the details: what was said, how it was handled, and why it worked.
Because when someone hears how a colleague resolved a tricky parent issue, or found the words that unlocked collaboration, two things happen:
- They learn exactly how it was done.
- They see that it can be done — and let’s face it, some parent issues can feel impossible to resolve.
Over time, this quietly builds confidence and consistency across your team.
Not every improvement needs a new system. Sometimes it’s just about noticing what works, sharing it, and saying:
“That worked — let’s all use it.”
Remember I have 200 2-minute top tips to help you with parent and other difficult conversations – view them here: Ask Sonia: 2-minute top tips to have more successful difficult conversations.
Here’s to turning every parent win into whole-school wisdom 🙂
Here’s to sharing the wins,
Sonia ❤️