The first time a parent brings their child to the classroom, your relationship begins. And everyone knows how first impressions work; they are vitally important in keeping the prospective clientele interested in what you have to offer their child.

First off, parents must feel confident in your abilities as a martial artist, business person, instructor and see you as a person who can effectively communicate with both the children and the parents. Sounds like a lot to ensure in a single meeting, doesn't it? 

When you start acquainting yourself with the parents and prospective student, many of the sales ideas come into play again. Listen carefully to the parents questions, comments, and concerns. If they ask you if your style is like Tae Kwon Do, don't say "No. It's Kenpo." Let them know that many of the same punches and kicks and stances are taught. Let them know how the styles differ, but don't get them looking to get out the door immediately. They are probably saying Tae Kwon Do because its the only frame of reference they have for a martial arts style- and they probably don't even know much about Tae Kwon Do other than the fact that it is a martial arts style.

Some questions will concern the content and require a factual answer. If you have curriculums, show them the first curriculum and explain how it works and what your grading system is. Let them know if you teach techniques without the eye and throat shots or simply save those more lethal techniques for later in the system. Other questions will have answers that revolve around a variety of variables. The inevitable question is the "How long does it take to get a black belt?" Of course training times come into question as well as age.

Explain your situation. If you have a junior black belt, explain how long it takes for most students to achieve that rank. If you don't offer black belts to kids, then you have some explaining to do; other schools give black belts, why don't you? You can explain it as you see fit, but again be diplomatic. Don't say kids aren't ready for one because those other schools are proving you wrong in the parent's mind. Maybe explain the length of time it takes to get children through the various levels or your curriculum. Maybe you see the black belt level as instructor level. Or simply explain it as you wish.

 
Working with Parents

Working with parents is an interesting task. Just like the parents in the stands of the little league game telling the umpire that her son was not out, parents take a vested interest in their child's future. This is a good thing, by the way. 

Working with parents is a critical element in your success at the school. Since they have such an investment in their child, it is extremely important for you as the instructor to consider that your relationship with the child involves a working relationship with the parents. They pay the tuition for their child to attend your school. They will be washing the uniform and driving the child to your school and probably staying at your school while the child learns.

The first thing to look at is the parents' expectations. The manner in which you deal with these expectations will have an impact on the motivation for parents to keep their kids at your school. Use what the parent has. They have spent years knowing and understanding their child in a variety of situations; they know what interests and motivates their child as well. They can also alert you to any problems or sensitivities that may have an impact on your child's training in the martial arts. The more proactive you are in gathering this sort of information will make you better equipped and make the class better as well.

Parents should be seen as allies. If you do any training directed towards self-discipline, self-confidence, and other goals can be supported or ignored by parents; you want to encourage the support. In some schools, children receive rewards for grades as well as helping around the house as in cleaning their room, doing dishes. If you communicate about the child's progress, the consistency in your combined efforts are more likely to produce the desired results. If the parents se you as an ally, they have an incentive to maintaining the instructor - student relationship.

Now, parents can also be the enemy but should never be considered so. Just like when they think the last pitch was a strike despite the umpire's call, they will also question your judgement. They will want their child to be a part of the next belt promotion. They will, if unchecked, give advice throughout the class period telling their child to get into a good stance, keep their hands up, etc. If you allow this, it ruins your credibility as the instructor to the students and to any prospective students / parents, and other parents.

As far as the judgement is concerned, you will have to let them rather diplomatically that it is possible their child is not ready yet for the next rank, and you wouldn't want them to be unprepared during the test with their peers. But explanations may not work too well. This is where many experienced instructors begin a testing program that has checkpoints throughout, like three stripes per belt as well as attendance cards to show how often the student has been there. Some of these institutional steps can give progress but give the student time to get their material before a test.

As far as the interruptions are concerned, you must understand they are doing it to help their children learn the concepts. What they don't know is that their child now has their attention diverted between you the instructor and their parents. Hang a sign that tells visitors to be quiet and make sure that everyone knows it applies to them; it's not selective. If you can, and get the option to build your space out, create a room that is just that, a classroom-- no seats for visitors or anything. Visitors and parents can watch through windows of your room and set up an audio system if they want to listen to your class.

The end result is that you need the parents as an ally. They can help you teach when the student is out of the classroom and can help in an endless number of ways. When my instructor was building out his school, it was the parents who stepped forward: the parents who worked nine to five as electricians, carpenters, and carpet layers. They helped build the new school because they saw what the martial arts were doing for their child.