The Angry Parent

05/30/2013

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein

In Practical Solutions to Practically Every Problem, Steffen Saifer provides this advice on how to deal with an angry parent:

When confronted with an irate parent, regardless of the cause, just listen at first. Don't defend yourself, even if the parent is clearly misguided or misinformed. Remember that challenging the person only fuels the fire of anger. Listen intently and sympathetically.
Apologize. Even if the problem was not your fault, you can apologize for the anguish that the misunderstanding caused.... In many cases this is all the parent is looking for.
Tell the parent that you will do what you can to ease her concern. If you need more information or advice about the problem, tell her what you will do and when you will get back to her.
When the immediate anger has cooled, you may be able to offer an explanation or rationale — your side of the story. Be aware, however, that some people are not interested in reason. If this is the case, empathize with their concern and say what you have done to make sure this problem will not happen again.

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