How to talk to parents about their shortcomings?

[Momof4]

I tell parents at the interview that we are going to work together as a team through every issue that arises over the years. I also make it clear that I will ask them how they want to handle it but that we MUST both be consistent with our rules so the child learns quickly. If the parents are not doing their part to help the behaviour change they are terminated. It's never that cut and dried of course, termination is never easy, but I deserve to be happy and all of the other deserve to have fun here, not be stressed out little people due to one problem child. It's so unfair to all of us.

So, to answer your question, I tell the parents of an overindulged, misbehaved child to picture them at age 12 and at age 25 and I ask them if they want to raise a manipulative, spoiled adult who will treat other people badly or if they want to do the parenting work while their child is small so they grow into a wonderful adult. Blunt? Yes! But it usually works.

So I agree with luppernoodle, except for the high pitched voice, hehe, I never do that even with the children.