--- title: Tired, sad or drinking parents: tell a trusted adult — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Tired, sad or drinking parents: tell a trusted adult», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Sometimes a grown-up at home is not okay, and a child sees it first. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Tired, sad or drinking parents: tell a… # Tired, sad or drinking parents: tell a trusted adult Lesson 497 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 38 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/0/) — Sometimes a grown-up at home is not okay, and a child sees it first. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/1/) — In Cardiff, Carys's mum works long shifts and falls asleep on the sofa at seven every night, still in her uniform. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/2/) — Carys makes her own tea (in much of Britain «tea» also means the evening meal), does her own bath and puts herself to bed. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/4/) — Carys feels grown-up, and lonely. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/5/) — Mum loves her; she just has nothing left at the end of the day. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/6/) — But a child still needs looking after. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/7/) — Some grown-ups have an illness called depression. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/8/) — It is not just a bad day: it makes a person very sad, flat and tired for weeks or months. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/9/) — In Hull, Angus's dad stays in bed for days with the curtains shut: «Sorry, mate, just tired.» In Brisbane, Rafferty's mum stays in her room, so every arvo (afternoon) and evening he makes toast for himself and his little sister. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/10/) — In Bristol, since he lost his job, Jem's dad watches telly all day, doesn't wash and snaps at everyone; Jem's mate says, «Your dad's gert mardy» (Bristol «gert» = very, «mardy» = grumpy). - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/11/) — Depression is an illness, not laziness, and doctors can help. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/12/) — It is not the child's job to fix it. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/13/) — Some grown-ups drink too much alcohol, and it changes how they act. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/14/) — In Manchester, Lettie's mum is slurring her words and stumbling at tea time, and she forgets Lettie's school play. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/15/) — In Ohio, Everett's dad drinks every night, gets loud, yells at the TV and at Everett's mom, so Everett stays in his room. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/16/) — In Dublin, Hester can't wake her da in the afternoon to sign a school form, so she writes his name herself. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/17/) — None of it is the child's fault, and no child should cope with it alone. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/18/) — Not every hard thing is drink or depression. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/19/) — In Edinburgh, Olivia hears her mam greetin' (Scots for crying) at night since Granny died, and in the morning Mam pretends to be fine. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/20/) — Grief can last a long time. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/21/) — In Leeds, Maddox's mum has a long illness and can't come to sports day; Maddox tells his mates, «She's busy,» because he wants to protect her. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/22/) — Kids who look after a poorly or struggling parent are called young carers, and there are groups and help for them. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/23/) — And some grown-ups are simply mean to a child. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/24/) — In Newcastle, Mam's new boyfriend calls Romilly names and blames her for everything, and Mam says nothing. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/26/) — That is not okay, and she is not to blame. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/27/) — The wise move in every story here is the same: tell a trusted adult — a teacher, a school counsellor, a nan, an auntie — or ring Childline on 0800 1111 (UK, free). - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/28/) — It is not telling tales and it is not betraying your family: it is getting help for them and for you. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/29/) — When a parent is very tired, ill, sad or drinking, a child often notices first. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/30/) — Depression is an illness that makes a person very sad, flat and tired for a long time; it is not laziness and doctors can help. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/31/) — It is not a child's job to fix a parent's depression or drinking. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/32/) — Drinking too much alcohol changes how people act: slurring words, stumbling, forgetting, getting loud. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/33/) — A parent's drinking, depression or bad mood is never the child's fault. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/34/) — Grief after someone dies can make a grown-up sad for a long time; if it goes on and on, they may need help. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/35/) — Children who cook, mind siblings or look after a struggling parent are called young carers, and there are groups to help them. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/36/) — A grown-up who keeps calling a child names and blaming her is not okay, and the child is not to blame. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/37/) — Telling a trusted adult, like a teacher, school counsellor or relative, is getting help, not telling tales. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/38/) — Childline is free on 0800 1111 in the UK; in the US kids can tell a school counselor or call Childhelp on 1-800-422-4453. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/39/) — Hiding a problem, like forging a signature or saying «she's busy», keeps the child alone with it; telling helps. - ← previous: [Parents who row, and one kind and one not](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/496-parents-who-row-and-one-kind-and-one-not/) - next →: [The only child: a quiet house](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)