---
aliases: ["Parent Communication"]
tags: [pm-skills, skill]
skill: parent-communication
description: "Draft clear, warm, professional messages to parents or guardians — progress notes, concerns, positive news, behaviour issues, or meeting requests. Use when asked to email a parent, write home about a student, raise a concern with a guardian, or share an update. Produces a ready-to-send message that is specific, partnership-oriented, and constructive — never accusatory — with the tone matched to the situation."
---

# Parent Communication Skill

Messages home set the tone for the whole relationship. The best ones are specific, lead with care for the child, frame issues as a shared problem to solve, and always include a next step. This skill writes them.

## Working from a brief

Given the situation, **write the full message anyway** using a placeholder-free template (e.g. "Alex" / "your child" rather than "[student name]" only where the teacher must personalise — keep those to an obvious minimum and mark them clearly). Match the tone to the purpose.

## Required Inputs

Ask for (if not already provided):
- **Purpose** (positive news, progress update, academic concern, behaviour issue, meeting request)
- **Student** (name/year) and **the specifics** (what happened, with examples)
- **Channel & tone** (email, app message, note home; formal or warm)
- **Desired outcome** (awareness, a meeting, support at home)

## Output Format

A ready-to-send message:
- **Subject line** (clear, non-alarming even for concerns)
- **Opening** — a genuine, specific positive about the child first (especially before a concern)
- **The message** — what's happening, with one concrete example; for concerns, factual and non-judgmental
- **Partnership framing** — "here's how we can support [child] together"
- **Clear next step** — a meeting offer with options, a specific ask, or simply "no action needed, just sharing good news"
- **Warm close**

For a sensitive issue, also give:
- **What to avoid saying** — the phrasings that sound accusatory or label the child.

## Quality Checks

- [ ] Leads with care for the child, not the problem
- [ ] Specific (a real example), not vague labels ("disruptive", "lazy")
- [ ] Frames issues as a shared problem, not blame
- [ ] Ends with a clear, easy next step
- [ ] Tone matches the purpose; subject line won't alarm unnecessarily

## Anti-Patterns

- Labelling the child instead of describing the behaviour
- Jargon or edu-speak parents won't parse
- A concern with no path forward or offer of support
- Over-long; burying the point under throat-clearing

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