22/01/2026
If you've got a meeting with your child's nursery, school, college or university there are a few steps that can help make it more productive and less stressful and I thought you might appreciate a reminder.
1. Prepare - what do you want to achieve from the meeting? Write down a list and prioritise it. You may not have time to cover everything, so which are the most important or will have the biggest positive impact for your child. If you find the meetings stressful take someone with you to support you and make notes for you.
2. Do your best to stay calm. Imagine you're a tree and have healthy roots grounding you. Take deep breaths to regulate yourself and give yourself time to respond to any questions. When you ask questions, give the other person time to respond. Be clear with what you are asking for and with your responses. If you expect action, be clear on what that is so there is no doubt, and agree on a timeframe for the action to be taken by.
3. Make notes or record the meeting on your phone (with permission from the attendees) or have a friend make notes for you. It can be difficult to remember everything after the meeting. Follow up the meeting with an email to summarise the points. This means there is documented evidence of the discussion and it's much easier to make sure actions are taken!
4. Be accountable. If you've said you will do something, do it. Hold others accountable. If you have been told that an action will be taken or some more information will be provided to you, follow it up and make sure it happens.
It can be easy to go into a negative spiral with education settings if you've felt let down before. I know how frustrating it can be. The better prepared you are and the better you follow-up the better the potential outcome. Good luck!
