After reading the article "rethinking Difficult Parents" by Dr. Allen Mendler, I have a lot that I have been thinking about.  When I was in the classroom, one of my biggest struggles was working with parents.  There has definitely been a shift in how parents view their child's behavior and education.  When I was in elementary and middle school, parents most often agreed with the teachers.  They supported their decisions and trusted in their judgements.  When I was teaching and had an issue with a student, most parents turned the blame on me.  It made things so incredibly difficult.  I did not have an ally in the students parents and often felt backed into a corner when issues arose.

This article does a great job of giving teachers a new point of view on how to handle difficult parents.  It can be very easy to get frustrated and give up but if you always keep in mind what is best for the student then it can be easier.  Being able to genuinely acknowledge concern of the parent and appreciate their suggestions but still keeping limits can be great suggestions to help when dealing with a difficult parent.

Overall, it is important to find effective ways to work with parents and now against them.  Parents should be a teacher best ally and even though they may be difficult, they usually have their childs best interests at heart!
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/rethinking-difficult-parents-allen-mendler