Introducing...Alvaro

We have an international student living with us this year. His name is Alvaro and he is from Mexico. Alvaro has trouble getting up in the mornings and I am finding this a little difficult. Although my own children don’t LIKE getting up in the morning, they still do because they realize that it is one of those non-negotiable things. When they were young, a single “Good morning, time to get up” was enough and they all made it to the school bus on time. Once they reached high school, they were able to get up on their own with an alarm clock. I’m very grateful for that because I’ve talked to parents who are tearing their hair out trying to find a way to make mornings easier.

As I get to know Alvaro, I realize that truancy and poor grades were part of his experience back home. He has two older brothers and he tells me that his family has a reputation at the school. He told me that none of his teachers like him because “he is always the one in the class to make jokes.” I used to teach junior high. I’ve had those kinds of students. And I have sympathy for his teachers.


Alvaro is not a typical international student. Most international students who come here are high achievers and hard workers. I think that Alvaro’s parents sent him here hoping that he would grow up, mature and develop his character.

Other than his difficulty with mornings, Alvaro has not given us a hard time yet. He is respectful and willing to help. He tells me where he is going and when he will be home. Tim told me that Alvaro has told him that in Mexico it was not uncommon for him to drink to excess on a regular basis (he just turned 15 in July) and he was a heavy smoker. He quit smoking when he came here and apparently his father told him that if he had as much as one drink, his father would kill him. That has been a very good incentive for Alvaro to stay away from the smokes and booze.

In the 6 weeks that he has been with us, he has missed 2 days (stomach ache), and as far as I am aware, has been late twice. I asked him how I could help him get up in the mornings and we agreed that I would knock on his door at 7:30. Yesterday, I did so and he still wasn’t downstairs by 8:15. I went up the stairs again (his room is on the 3rd story of this house) and he told me that he thought it was too cold so he would wait until his next class to get to school because he was late already.

WHAT? He thought he’d sleep in because it was TOO COLD? He thought he’d SLEEP IN because it was too cold? HE THOUGHT he’d sleep in because it was too cold? I was flabbergasted!

I calmly told him that he needed to get up and go directly to school, which he did willingly. I also calmly told him that those of us living in northern climates don’t let a bit of snow and wind stop us. We’d spend the entire winter at home if that were the case. And I just couldn’t resist telling him that walking to school in miserable weather could be seen as a character building experience and that it would contribute to his personal growth. I couldn’t help saying it. I just HAD to.

He walked out the door with Tim’s winter coat and gloves. I offered the umbrella but he politely refused it. It might be “cool” to sleep in because of the cold and rain but it is NOT “cool” to carry an umbrella.

When he came home last night, his attitude seemed pretty positive. He said that he went outside during his spare just to experience the rain, snow and wind. I think the little chat he had with the attendance counsellor at school helped him get up this morning and get to school on time.

We’ll have to see if this year will really change Alvaro. It may be a bit of a challenge for us but I’m confident that the threat of the school to “send him back” will be enough for him to follow the rules.

I wouldn’t want to be sent back home and deal with MY father if I were him.