--- title: 12 signs it’s time to talk with your child’s teacher description: When should you reach out to your child’s teacher? It can be hard to know if your concerns are “serious enough.” Here are 12 signs it’s time to connect. slug: 12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher author: The Understood Team reviewer: Rayma Griffin, MA, MEd published: '2019-08-05T15:39:48.246Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/7qq16z2sxwoIGhkUL0AafT/b08d8b1b0023052e52aee94f8053d99e/G1136595324.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher lang: en --- # 12 signs it’s time to talk with your child’s teacher It can be hard to know when to reach out to teachers. If your child is struggling with something, you may wonder if the challenges are “serious enough” to bring up. Should you take up the teacher’s time now or wait until parent-teacher conferences? And [how often is too often](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-often-should-parents-contact-teachers) to contact the teacher? Teachers can be great sources of information and advice. They can shed light on what’s happening in the classroom and give you a sense of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. If you have any questions or concerns about your child, you can ask to meet or talk at any time. Here are 12 signs that it’s time to reach out. 1. You see your child struggling with [reading](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/reading-trouble-conversation-starters-to-use-with-your-childs-teacher), [math](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/math-trouble-conversation-starters-to-use-with-your-childs-teacher), [writing](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-trouble-with-writing-in-kids), and other areas of learning. 2. Your child seems to have trouble with [focus](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/trouble-with-focus-conversation-starters-to-use-with-your-childs-teacher) or [self-control](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/self-control-what-it-means-for-kids). 3. You see your child having trouble doing things other kids seem to do easily. 4. Your child is suddenly behaving differently. 5. Your child’s grades or test scores are slipping. 6. Your child doesn’t seem motivated or confident. 7. Your child doesn’t want to go to school (in-person or virtually). 8. Your child often gets angry or frustrated. 9. Your child often feels sick before school or complains of stomach aches and headaches. 10. Your child isn’t catching up, even with extra support at school. 11. Your child has a hard time finishing homework. 12. You think other kids are bullying your child or that your child is bullying other kids. The more you and the teacher work together, the better it is for everyone — especially your child. --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [How to talk with your child about signs you’re noticing](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/talk-to-child-about-signs-learning-differences) - - Its important to talk with your child about the signs youre noticing. - Starting the conversation can be hard. - Talking with your child gives you information about whats going on. If youre seeing signs that your child is struggling with learning and thinking differences, chances are youre wo - [Writing trouble: Conversation starters to use with your child’s teacher](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/writing-trouble-conversation-starters-to-use-with-your-childs-teacher) - - Talking with the teacher is a good step toward helping your child with writing. - It can help you understand what youre seeing and what you can do next. - Having the words to say can make the conversation easier. If your child is struggling with writing, you may not know how to start getting - [My child is falling behind in school. Now what?](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/my-child-is-falling-behind-in-school-now-what) - Everything seemed to be going OK. But now your child is struggling to keep up in class and is falling behind. You may wonder if this is just a rough patch. Or is something else going on? It can be hard to figure it out on your own. Kids arent always open to talking about school, especially when thin --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher","description":"When should you reach out to your child’s teacher? It can be hard to know if your concerns are “serious enough.” Here are 12 signs it’s time to connect."},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher","name":"12 signs it’s time to talk with your child’s teacher"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","datePublished":"2019-08-05T15:39:48.246Z","description":"When should you reach out to your child’s teacher? It can be hard to know if your concerns are “serious enough.” Here are 12 signs it’s time to connect.","headline":"12 signs it’s time to talk with your child’s teacher","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-signs-its-time-to-talk-with-your-childs-teacher","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.understood.org/#organization","name":"Understood for All Inc","logo":"https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/307jFAYQevghG8nQMCjh89/ccdbbec895765824db43f6d30b496e83/logo_lockup_navy.jpg"}}] ```