Over ten years of teaching at a university, I’ve noticed one detail. When a student is already in a total disaster with a subject, when finals are already on and it’s too late to study properly, people come to plead on the student’s behalf. Uncles, aunts, Dad’s friend or Mom’s friend (hee-hee ;) show up, and once even a grandfather came. “I served with this blockhead’s father, his dad is a great guy, you’re not going to expel his son, are you?”
And where is the father himself? Where is the mother? Why do the closest people frankly not give a damn about the fate of their son or daughter? If the father and mother don’t care, why should other people then run around fussing?
Why not ask once a week how your son is doing, ask him to tell you what’s going on at the university, read through his notes together?
— If the parents don’t care, then there’s nothing I can do to help.
Oh, and also, for those who left this nightmare behind long ago: it applies in every direction. Call your mom and dad, stop by their place for dinner tonight.