The Call That Mattered More Than the Mistake

Last night we had a parent fall asleep during one of our online parenting classes. Per our policy, he was removed from the online classroom. That’s the part most people would focus on, but that’s not the part that stayed with me.

This morning, when I walked into the office, I discovered that he had left us a voicemail. Not to complain, not to argue and not to make excuses. He called to apologize and then he asked if he could come back.

That question matters more than people realize, because here’s the reality: We do have non-negotiable rules for our online classroom. In our parenting classes, cameras must stay on and faces must be visible. Participants have to be present and engaged and need to be able to verbally respond if our parenting instructor asks a question. We also do not allow participants to be driving a car (or operating heavy machinery - trust me, we wouldn't have this rule if it hadn't happened before).

We don’t enforce those rules to be rigid or difficult. We enforce them because what we do matters. When we issue a certificate of completion, it has to mean something. It may be used in court or it may be part of a bigger picture for that parent and their family. At FGO, we carry that responsibility seriously.

But... just as important to us: every parent in that virtual room deserves a space where people are actually present. So, while we do hold the line, we also SEE the person we are helping. Parenting is HARD - if it were easy, we wouldn't need classes.

The parents who log into our free parenting classes aren't doing so because life is going perfectly. They log in tired, overwhelmed, anxious... sometimes, they log in because they are required to (not because they want to). We recognize that joining our classes takes courage and a certain amount of grit. As one of the parenting instructors on our team, I often say to our students "Showing up to our class in the first place is the hardest part. Staying to learn something is easy."

So when a parent takes responsibility (real responsibility) and says, “I messed up. Can I try again?” Our answer is YES. Not because we lower the standard, but because we believe growth doesn’t happen without grace.

At Family Guidance and Outreach, unless someone is consistently disrespectful or refuses to engage, they are always welcome to come back to the next class. One mistake doesn’t erase the effort it took to show up in the first place. If we expect parents to give their children patience, understanding, and second chances… then we better be willing to model that too.

You can hold boundaries and still be compassionate. You can correct behavior without shaming the person and you can expect more while still saying, “You’re welcome here.”

For more information about our free, online parenting classes: https://www.lubbockfamily.org/parentingclasses