I'm the mom who periodically monitors her middle schooler's school gmail account. I monitor for certain things, one being missed homework assignments, because let's face it! He's in middle school and there are so many other things he'd rather be doing than his homework. At the same time, he's smarter than I ever was in school and when he's pushed, he truly can rock his homework, just like the great bands of the early 2000's. Does my kiddo know that I monitor his school email? Not exactly. Judge me if you want! He does know that I have access to it. I'm not going to defend myself, but I will say that in doing so, I spare myself from a lot of worry. I also monitor for signs of bullying and profanity. I've found both, but that's a discussion for another day. When your child has been the target of bullying on multiple occasions, it's important to watch for the signs, so that you can have evidence when it comes to communication with school
A constant balancing act between mom and career life!