Mum versus teacher

It's a funny old thing being a teacher in the same school that your own children attend. It's even funnier when you teach them for some lessons.

Good points

*I know what is going on even if my children forget to give me letters/information.
*I can usually find lost homework sheets and obtain them by stealth so my children don't have to go to their teachers and confess they've lost the one they were given.
*I see them everyday, which is lovely and I can 'spy' on them in the playground and see them in a situation not many parents get to. They've never let me down. I wouldn't like to see them in the playground bullying or behaving badly! (I'll point out that I don't actually spy on them, just occasionally have a little peep!)
*I can plead their case if things have not been done on time.
*I always get convenient appointments for parent/teacher interviews.
*I always know 'the method' for maths.
*I can ruffle their hair when I pass them in corridors. They like this at the moment, they are not embarassed yet.

Bad points

*I hate having children home for tea and for sleepovers. It's like being back at work.
*It can be awkward talking to parents of their friends, especially if they moan about teachers or another aspect of school.
*I sometimes step in for them if they've not done homework etc. It's good that they don't get punished but bad because they're not taking responibility for their actions (or lack of action).
*When I get home all I want to do is hear silence, not children bickering or whining. My fuse is shorter than it should be.
*Living in catchment means that lots of the children in my school know where I live. Has never been a problem up to now but you never know.

For me, the good points outweigh the bad points. I love, love, love seeing them every day and I make a point to seek their faces in the crowd during assembly. They seem to cope really well but I wonder what they would write if they noted good and bad points about having their mum teach at their school.......