I agree completely. My parents taught me to care about my grades. They weren't overly strict, but they did remind me how important it was for my future. It's not always the teacher's fault. Sometimes parents need to take the blame for themselves.

I was just having a discussion with a friend today, about cultural differences in educational values across countries. Is it just me or is this becoming a theme in the States? As in, a sort of belief that people don't really need to succeed. It seems to have become more about the "touchy feely" as long as you feel good about yourself thing. I say this as U.S. citizen and it disgusts me. Maybe I'm wrong. However it does seem to be modeled rather well by the instance of this FML

Of course that is assuming this is coming out of the U.S! Simply a guess.

Teachers in the U.S can't tell the kids parents that they should do a better job of raising their kid without losing their job.

It definitely isn't just a US thing. I taught EL students last year; every one of them was new to the country (all South/Central American and African) and they had the exact same mentality.

My mother is a special education teacher and you wouldn't believe how kids go through school having difficulty because parents fail to realize that there child might need extra help or early intervention for leaning disorders, parents need there education as well.

That's really interesting #106. That seems to discard my underlying assumption that it had to do with wealthy cultures. Would you say your experience with those kids was defined by an air of entitlement or simple rebellion against "the man?" Or even both?

Not usually. Most parents are strict about grades where i live. But there are the occasional dumbass parents who blame everyone else

it it varies. for the most part parents actually care if thete kids are doing well in school and actually try to help them better themselves. but there are those types of parents that just want their kids to skate through life not learing any real skills

Obnoxious, mad their precious little layabout won't learn Vs Neglectful, haven't seen hide nor hair of them

I agree. There are lots and lots of really amazing parents out there. However, there are also those who do their children a disservice by constantly bailing them out, and refusing to believe the child is capable of anything but being an angel. :)

On the other end of that spectrum, you have the parents that scream at their kids about why they got an A instead of an A+. Parents need to balance between that extreme and the other extreme of babying their kids so much that their kids never have to try.

They study and try to succeed in school.

Wow. 3 is almost as stupid as that kids mother.

really ahole? if a student works hard, whats the point if the lazy kids gets a good grade regardless of effort and hard work. you must feel special trying to diss someone over the internet. get a life.

71 just shut up. You're completely showing how stupid you really are. The kid OP is speaking of doesn't try whatsoever that's the point of him not getting good grades. If he actually put forth effort it would be different.

I never put any effort in in high school or college and still got good grades. The American schooling system sucks. Canadian one isn't much better. Considering I grew up on the British system then moved to Canada. By grade 7 I had already done university level physics, biology & Chem. I had also done grade 12 in all the other subjects. Sometimes it's not that the kid is lazy, just bored of doing work that they can accomplish with their eyes closed. The American and Canadian systems don't let you skip grades. I know because I had a lot of hassle to go through when I wanted to take grade 12 courses in grade 10.

#71: Please dig the sand out of your ****** already and stop commenting your terrible explanations before you hurt yourself on that keyboard. :P

76. Yeah if they were bored of doing work they can do with their eyes closed they wouldn't be getting bad grades now would they. Your argument is invalid.

@76. The Canadian system doesn't let you skip grades? Are you kidding me? Yes they do. They offered my sister the opportunity to skip a grade. My parents declined. if I wanted to do higher level courses after I completed the ones for my my grade level I could, while still in my grade level. You just had to ask permission to do so and have the grades to do it. It is called working with the system and showing you can do what is required or are actually advanced. So, your statements make me suspect in if you actually showed you were capable or if you were just a bitchy kid that had poor grades because you were bored, but refused to show you were capable of more to be able to be moved on to the higher grades ahead of time; or to be allowed to do the higher course material. Makes a difference there.

I personally disagree. Sometimes the situations at home affect a child's school career. They might see their parents being lazy, rude, disrespectful, careless, and/or doing nothing, so they sometimes mimic that behavior whether it's intentional or not. The FML proves that the mother does not have good morals as she's encouraging lying, cheating, etc. by threatening and trying to guilt trip OP, which I believe doesn't make her a suitable role model for her son. There are also the cases in which a student has a learning disability, and they may feel stupid or that it's not worth trying because it's hopeless, or that they cannot concentrate but don't want to ask for help out of fear of the outcome of the teacher's reaction. There are also people that are unaware of their mental disabilities or unable to afford the help that they need. In these cases and more, the teacher should try their best to be a positive role model for them and help them with whatever problems they are having. Sometimes people have an "I don't care" attitude because something they experienced that made them feel like they need an emotional mask. It's part of OP's job as a teacher to try and break down that exterior and guide them to a more positive path. If a teacher is only there to teach them a subject and that's it, without caring about the student's afterschool life or taking interest in the student no matter who they are, in my opinion they aren't going to be a very successful teacher. But then again, he may just be a bratty little asshole that deserves a whoopin.

Besides Casey Anthony...

Casey Anthony hasn't been a parent in five years. I hate her as much as anyone, but there are a boatload of worse people that are parents today.

Like Farrah Abraham or Jenelle Evans perhaps?

This comment thread went from funny to depressing in record time!

Not to worry, his mommy will bitch out his boss and all will be fine with his self esteem

Heh preparing a kid for the real world? That's not a parents job these days! They have to make their child think he's one of a kind and super special! A trophy just for showing up is how kids are raised nowadays its pathetic.

She'll yell at the boss for wrecking his self esteem.

Honestly, that's what's wrong with so many parents. They baby their kids and when it's time for them to grow up, they can't.