Substance abuse among parents is not uncommon. Some kids wear the same soiled clothes to school every day. Some rarely shower. One of Waterous's students smelled so bad the other kids in the classroom refused to sit next to him. Not long ago, Waterous ran into a parent at a convenience store and asked her why her son wasn't doing his homework.
Social problems are everywhere.
Teachers know it. In Pat Karmozyn's first-grade class at the Austin T. Levy School, in Burrillville, some students come to school hungry. Some are exhausted because they spent two hours before school at a child-care center so that their parents could get to work on time. On cold days, some arrive in short-sleeved shirts, with no winter coats, hats or mittens. Most parents are trying to do the best they can, Karmozyn says, but many are so burdened by their jobs they have trouble finding time for their children.