Have an alcholic/abusing relative with an enabling live in mom who's daughter is basically about to fail out of grade school. Not only does the mom enable the live in she apparently puts being with him a larger priority than being with the kid on a school night frequently dumping the kid on a sitter not to go to a job or school but just to 'have a few' with the live in.
Kids should be worrying about the next day's test and not who is going to baby sit them tonight or when is mom coming home.