Scenario ! : L walked into the Principal's office with her resignation while there was still a month to go for term end. She wanted to leave by the end of the term as her husband had been posted to another city and the family had to shift. There was also an additional request for a week's leave in between to facilitate the packing and moving. The principal threw a fit and threw the application out. L had no choice but resort to taking the official channel of sending the resignation by registered mail to the school board, for which she was pulled up again.
The solution came when a mentor intervened and asked the principal to accept the resignation with the proviso that it would only remain a week's leave and that she would come back to finish her work.
Scenario 2 : C needs 3 days of leave to attend a conference in a distant city that will help her with her special child's career decisions. Same principal - same reaction - leave refused. This time it is a parent-teacher meeting that is coming in the way. The tussle is still on.
This is what made me think of the 1001 tussles and negotiations a parent has to do - to see that rules are not broken and at the same time the child is not hurt by the decision.
Should I let my reticent son go on a week long picnic with his classmates ? What time limit should I set for my teenage daughter to stay out with her friends during her school farewell party ? One could negotiate and create a win-win situation or put down one's heavy foot.
If only we carried this trait to our work place especially when we become the head or CEO - our parenting skills will retain that fine quality of empathy which will carry the day.
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