DEAR HELOISE: I read with interest the letter from Margaret about reading and our children. I know we all have busy lives, but children and their education are very important. Teaching them to sound out words and read is only the beginning.

The American educational system actually begins in the home, with parents who devote time each day to helping their children learn basic reading and math skills. Every child should be able to read simple sentences and do simple math before they start kindergarten.

Parents need to back up teachers and start demanding more from their children. Don’t accept bad grades. If there is a problem at school, talk to the teachers and find out what it is. If the problem is bullying, demand that the bullies be expelled from school. If your child is the bully, don’t make excuses for them. Instead, make it clear that bullying is not allowed and take steps to stop them.

Remember this: Unless you have the cure for cancer or the secret to world peace, you will never leave anything behind in this world more important than your children.

• A Retired School Teacher, in Ohio

DEAR HELOISE: I saw a letter where the reader mentioned dishwasher pods and that they were capable of cleaning fried foods off plates. I used pods and found that effluent was coming out of the air gap vent on the sink, so I dismantled all the pipes under the sink all the way to the outer drain pipe.

I was shocked to find a glutinous material lining the pipes and restricting the effluent flow, causing it to back up into the dishwasher. I used scraper tools, scoured out the material, and found that it was plastic.

It became apparent that the plastic pods would melt in the hot water from the dishwasher, but when the effluent was pumped out through the pipes, the water rapidly cooled. The plastic, which was in suspension, then reformulated at a lower temperature and clogged the pipe, which blocked the outflow.

I wrote to the company to advise them of the problem, and I received a very lawyerly and intimidating letter, claiming that their product was excellent and that they denied liability or responsibility.

These pods are a real problem. If the plastic doesn’t reformulate inside the house pipes, then it will reformulate inside the city system. We switched to granular detergent after I scoured the pipes, and I’ve had no problems since. It might help your readers to know of this plastic pod problem.

• A Reader, via email