Protecting them shouldn't mean blindly battling against criticism, but yes, you must be a strong advocate! Also, you must be careful not to take the other side just to prove a point that you are impartial - you are NOT.

It's a "big picture" question - what serves your child best in the long run ? Is it to ignore criticism and support bad behavior, or is it best to address the issue constructively and move forward ?

If your child needs some direction, you should be there to help provide it in a manner that works for your child. You can't leave it up to others. Conversely, if perhaps the school were to say to me "you kid is just bad, fix it" I would probably turn rabid! Constructive criticism is one thing, but I would defend my child against being labeled or against anything I felt was unfair or incorrect.

It's difficult, because we all know that OUR kids are little angels and it's the other brats that cause the trouble... We should resist that notion, look at the facts, respond accordingly to remedy the situation, then move on. Of course we do this with a certain bias towards what's best for our children, that's human nature, just don't let it become a blind bias, or we risk not serving our children as well as we can.

I believe that parents who always think their children are perfect and don't hold them responsible for their actions - either in school or play or whatever - is a HUGE problem! More parents need to realize that loving your children doesn't mean that they are perfect and without fault. Children who are not held accountable for their actions, grow up to be adults that do not take responsibility for their actions!

And even though I am a mother of a wonderful boy, he is not without fault. Every day I try to make him see that all actions (good and bad) have consequences. Not always easy, but always necessary!

Parents are responsible for the rearing of their children. I am a Mom to the end, I will fight for my children when NEEDED.
I do not excuse bad behavior and I do not tolerate the attitude that kids will be kids when they are RUDE.
If more parents stepped up to the plate and interact with their children rather than buy them the world, we would not have a discussion as to being a bad mom because we do not fight for our children when they are WRONG. Yes, they can be WRONG sometimes.
More parents need to be held accountable for not showing children how to properly deal with life challenges. Besides, Baltimore would not have the high level of crime if more parents and caregivers did not tolerate criminals in their households. You love your children, even if they are a menace to society.

A mother is someone that cares for her family daily, especially her children. More mothers need to show consistent love 24/7, trust their children and interact with them. I've had to learn it the hard way but, if a mother doesn't show concern for their children, all she does is say do this, do that and I expect it done by this time and if not you'll be grounded, then her children will become rebellious and not want to do anything, except build up a temper. This is part of why mothers need to interact with each of their children and help them get through life. Mothers it can become very difficult at times, but never give up and know that your children still love you, even though they may not show it. Life is tough for your children too and they need their parents. Your can't expect your children to learn everything on their own. You've got to teach them.