Feeling undervalued as a part time worker

I absolutely love my school and they have been very accommodating about me coming back part time. However I came back just after October half term to help them out and my HT wasn't very up front about what was going to happen with the class to the parents until I had returned. The parents never warmed to my part time partner and constantly I was defending him to them. Recently the parents have given me a lot of flack as well. It has nothing to do with the children's progress because they've all done well this year, but I get comments like I knew having two teachers was not going to be ok, so much disruption... but here hasn't been. I know every parent wants whats best for their kids (because I know I want what's best for mine) but I feel like they are taking it over the top and making me feel underappreciated. I mean 'I'm basically doing a full time job in part time hours' as quoted by year partner and I do like teaching but it is times like this that I think why do I even put myself through this?
Is this what it is like for everyone?

 

Very rude of the parents, really.

Presumably a new class next year? I don't know how you introduce yourselves to parents, but if you do any sort of start-of-year thing, perhaps address it heads-on: "As a parent myself, I know that you may be worried that having two teachers may be a disadvantage." Then lay it on - every class has more than one teacher anyway because of PPA, your class last year all achieved as they should, any playing-to-strengths you and the partner teacher do with your timetable, role models of both genders, etc.

If you're keeping the same class, you can always drop in some of that anyway.