That’s especially true in middle school, where kids have a teacher for each subject. As a parent, you may be tempted to ask the school to reassign your child to another teacher. But many parents say the best thing you can do may be to help your child learn to deal with the situation.

It’s important to acknowledge your child’s feelings. Sometimes kids and teachers really don’t get along. You might say “It’s OK not to like every teacher. But sometimes we have to learn to work with people we don’t like.” Then you might talk about your own experience. Have you worked for a difficult boss? Did you serve on a committee with someone you didn’t care for?

Tell your child, “I don’t expect you to learn to like this teacher. But I know you can learn to get along with her. That’s one of the things you need to know as an adult. I know you can do it.”

At home, give your child lots of support. Let her complain. But keep sending the message that you know she is capable of working things out.

One mother who tried this approach said she noticed that her daughter began to view the teacher’s class as a challenge, not a chore. By the end of the year, she’d earned an A in the class. And, she told her mom, she’d learned something even more important: “I learned she wasn’t so bad after all. I learned I could handle a tough situation. And I learned not to judge a book by its cover!”

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