Preschool Teacher Wonders If She Should Confront Parents After Child Arrives Smelling Of W**d Every Day
One parent habit is affecting the entire classroom.
A preschool teacher is stuck in the worst kind of classroom mystery, a kid who shows up smelling of weed, every single day. Not “once in a while,” not “maybe it’s a one-off,” but a steady pattern that’s starting to affect the room, the kids, and even the complaints coming in.
OP is dealing with the day-to-day reality of preschool, where everything is close, everyone is talking, and parents expect a safe space. The complication is obvious, OP has to decide whether to confront the parents directly, or whether the situation needs to be escalated, especially after realizing the smell seems to be in the clothes and not just from something happening at school.
Now OP has to figure out how to raise the issue without blowing up relationships, or ignoring something that could be bigger than it looks.
Let’s dig into the details
Reddit.comOriginal Post
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We gathered some interesting comments from the Reddit community
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“You are legally obligated to contact social services and report this. NTA.”
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This is the same kind of family blowup as the Redditor who quit hosting after everyone questioned their decision.
“Just focus on what you know, theres a smell, its in the clothes its disruptive and your getting complaints.”
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“Ask your principal this question.. and make sure they have your back before you discus this with the parents.”
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“NTA but you need to act. Get your supervisor involved asap. This could impact licensing.”
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“Their house likely smells of it and they are likely not cleanin/doing laundry, point being they may not be smoking directly in front of the kids.”
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“NTA but depending on where you live I’d definitely look into whether you need to report this to social services/ council etc.”
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The moment OP notices the smell on the child again, it stops being an awkward detail and becomes a daily problem for the whole preschool room.
When other teachers start pointing to complaints and disruption, OP is forced to think about how this affects more than just one kid’s arrival.
That’s when the comments about reporting and licensing get loud, especially once OP realizes the smell likely comes from the home, not the school.
After OP weighs confronting parents versus involving the supervisor, the kid’s repeated “every day” smell turns into the deciding factor.
Teachers often have to balance protecting the classroom environment while also maintaining respectful relationships with parents.
OP might not be trying to start drama, but the weed smell is already doing that for her.
Before you decide whether to confront those parents, read about a sibling refusing to back a sibling’s artistic career dream.
