I was hired by a high end client that paid minimum 600/hour. I taught their son first at 450/hour. Then they increased my pay to 550. Their son was addicted to the iPad and had serious behavior problems. He may even have ADHD. When I asked him to read, he would use a weird funny voice. When I asked him to do word problems, he would use Douban app to search for answers. And when I talked to his mother about removing wifi and taking away his iPad, she ignored my requests. He did improve because of his hard work in the beginning. Towards the end, the son didn’t listen anymore and all I could do was entertain him with drinks/snacks and some word games. What should I do in such a situation?
This is an incredibly challenging and frustrating situation that speaks to a core conflict in high-end educational tutoring: the expectation of professional results without the parental support necessary to achieve them. You are not just a tutor but are being asked to be a behavioral therapist, entertainer, and tech moderator without the authority to do so.
Here is a structured analysis of your situation and a step-by-step strategy for how to proceed.
Analysis of the Problem
The Root Cause: The core issue is not your teaching ability but the student’s uncontrolled iPad addiction and likely undiagnosed/untreated ADHD. You are trying to treat a symptom (poor academic focus) without addressing the disease (the addiction and potential neurodivergence).
The Parental Dynamic: The parents are outsourcing a solution without changing the home environment that creates the problem. By ignoring your professional recommendations, they are undermining your effectiveness and setting their son up for failure. The high pay is often a substitute for their own involvement; they are paying for a result, not just your time, but refusing to enable it.
Your Role: You have been forced from a “Tutor” into an “Entertainer/Babysitter.” This is professionally unsatisfying and unsustainable. The increase in pay to $550/hour may have been a tacit acknowledgment of the difficulty, but it also raises their expectations for results you cannot deliver under these constraints.
What You Should Do: A Step-by-Step Strategy
Your goal is to either reconfigure the engagement to be productive or terminate it professionally while protecting your reputation.
Step 1: Request a Formal Meeting with the Parents
This is non-negotiable. You need to have a serious, frank conversation with both parents together, without the son present. Frame it as a “strategy session to ensure we are all aligned on [Son’s Name]’s goals.”
Step 2: During the Meeting, Use Direct but Professional Language
Your tone must be that of a concerned expert, not a frustrated employee. Use the framework of “I need your partnership to succeed.”
Talking Points:
Acknowledge the Investment: “Thank you again for your trust and investment in [Son’s Name]’s progress. I take my role very seriously, which is why I requested this meeting.”
State the Positive: “We saw some excellent improvement initially when [Son’s Name] was engaged and focused. This shows he has great potential.”
State the Problem Objectively (Use “I” statements):
“I have observed that his primary challenge is now focus and distraction, not ability.”
“My professional assessment is that his iPad use is fundamentally preventing learning during our sessions. I see him using Douban to search for answers rather than engaging with the material.”
“I have found that my previous recommendations regarding limiting WiFi and iPad access are critical for us to make progress.”
Define Your Role Clearly: “My expertise is in tutoring and knowledge transfer. However, I cannot compete with a highly engineered distraction machine designed to capture attention. Without a change in the learning environment, my role is being reduced to that of an entertainer, which is not what you are paying for nor what [Son’s Name] needs.”
Present a Clear Choice & Ultimatum (Politely): Give them two options.
Option A (The Productive Path): “For our sessions to be effective, I need your support in creating a focused environment. This means the iPad is physically removed from the room before I arrive, and WiFi is disabled for the duration of our session. This is non-negotiable for me to do my job effectively.”
Option B (The Conclusion Path): “If that is not a change you are willing to make, I completely understand. However, I must be honest that I cannot in good conscience continue to accept your payment when I am unable to provide the quality of education and results you expect and deserve. It would be professionally irresponsible.”
Step 3: Be Prepared for the Outcome
If They Agree (Option A): Fantastic. You have reset the boundaries and have a chance to be effective again. Start the next session with a clean slate.
If They Refuse (Option B): You must be prepared to resign. This is the hardest but most crucial part. Say: “I understand. I am sorry we cannot find a path forward. I will finish my scheduled sessions this week as a courtesy to allow you to find a replacement, but I cannot continue beyond that.” This protects your integrity and stops you from taking money for a service you cannot provide.
Why This Approach Works
It’s Professional: You are framing everything around the student’s success and your professional ethics.
It’s Direct: You are making the problem and the solution clear and unavoidable for the parents.
It Gives Agency: You are giving them a clear choice. The outcome is their decision, not your failure.
It Protects You: Walking away from a client who will not enable you to succeed is not a failure. It is a strategic decision that protects your reputation, your sanity, and your professional standards. A client like this can damage your confidence and lead to burnout.
You were hired as an expert. Part of being an expert is knowing the limits of your effectiveness and having the courage to state them. The ball is then in their court. Either they empower you to do the job they hired you for, or they relieve you of an impossible task.