Quick Tip - Family vs. Parents

Okay so this is admittedly a rant, but at the same time, if you haven't thought about it before, here you go!
When addressing the adult figures in the lives of your students in person as a whole group (perhaps at back-to-school night) or in written form (in newsletters and other correspondence) address these people as "Families" NOT "Parents." I have worked with some "old-schoolers" who insist that they don't have to change their ways because of issues in their student's homes and therefore always use the term "parents" even though these adults may be grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. My stance... who cares?! If you take the focus off yourself (i.e. Well children "should" be raised by their parents so I use "parents" or I don't have to take the time to change a word on my standard letter I use every school year) and place the focus on the appropriate people, the students, you will realize that it is okay and actually GOOD to be sensitive to the little people. Aren't we supposed to be educators and don't we teach about feelings?!
*Side note, I always use the term "students" when I write my newsletters and in any written correspondence. It is just an easy way to reinforce roles, I am the teacher and the children are students, we all know they are children but sometimes families forget that you are viewing them as students.
**Additional side note, in my blog I say children and students, and often parents or sometimes even just mommies, but it is my blog, not my classroom ,so I can be as inconsistent as I would like, but when I am NOT blogging, I use families and students. :)