How can I thank parents for doing a fantastic job?

I'm a teacher. In my role, I come across all types of parents.

However, there are just some parents that are doing a darn good job of raising their kids (in my opinion and relative to other parents I encounter).

For instance, I have one student whose parent encourages him to be polite, gives him chores, and administers consequences when he does not meet expectations. As a result, this child is extremely polite (asking if he can carry things for me, etc) and responsible.

I have another student who lost his father - his grandmother is his caregiver now. She seems overwhelmed with the responsibility, but constantly puts his well-being first (seeking counseling for him, etc.)

I feel a little silly asking this, but I would love to recognize these parents in a private way. In a quick email, a letter, etc. Something along the lines of "Keep it up - your kid is awesome!"

However, as I do not have kids of my own, I'm not sure this would be a welcome gesture. Any suggestions on whether this is a good idea and/or how to phrase it would be welcome.

Hello angellars: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I don't know if you're just here seeking an answer to this one question or if you plan to hang in here with us. However, should you plan to continue on, I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit. In that case, you might consider introducing yourself over on PC's New Member Introductions forum. Here's a link:

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As to your particular question... I should say I'm not a parent... or a teacher. So I don't really have any basis upon which to judge what you're wanting to do. It certainly sounds like a nice gesture. I think you're correct as far as keeping it simple goes. On the other hand, I suppose you never really know what's going on at home or how your gesture will "play out". For example, if your were to mention how polite a child is or something like that, I could imagine some parents perhaps turning it around & asking the kid why s/he can't be like that at home! So while I certainly think what you have in mind is a nice idea, I do think you need to be cautious. At least these are the thoughts that came to mind as I read your post.

I am a parent to a son with autism. I can tell you I love it when I get positive feedback from his teachers. Even a quick email saying he had a good day is wonderful. Also, if there is something specific the child did, ie <child's name> was a great help today when....

I'm a mom of four. Whenever I get positive messages from the teachers about my kids I beam with pride. I also pass the positive words to my kids and tell them how proud I am of them. An email would be an incredibly kind gesture.