The end of the summer school holidays is approaching, the past month seems to have flown by, where has the summer gone!

The six-week holidays are an expensive time for all parents either keeping the children entertained with various days out, paying for annual holidays, or paying for childcare whilst they are at work.

As the end of the holiday approaches, it the time for parents to be at the stage of going out to buy school uniforms, PE kits, new shoes, pencil cases, lunch bags and so forth to get ready for the new school year starting early September.

This should be quite a special occasion for parents as memories are made from these school trips whether they are good or bad…. (I know many kids that don’t like shopping for new shoes and uniform!)  Unfortunately, however, there are some parents that dread this time of year! Currently, many families are already living on a strict, tight budget so all these extra costs are a massive expense to the household income and especially if there are several children at school that need kitting out in new clothes and accessories.

This year the feeling of trepidation is heightened due to the current rising costs of living. With food, fuel and energy prices rocketing and household bills on the rise every month it’s making it hell for some parents. The media is constantly mentioning daily how this is only going to get worse over the forthcoming months, creating anxiety amongst families.

There are charities out there that will help with school uniforms etc but as this increased cost of living takes place, many children will start suffering in a variety of ways as more and more families end up in poverty.  This will mean many more children will miss breakfast before school and will be limited on what they do eat for dinner and therefore not necessarily having a daily balanced diet.

Social activities and hobbies where subscriptions need to be paid etc will be scrapped as parents cannot afford to pay for this when their Gas and Electricity bill has doubled in the last couple of months. As winter approaches some children will find themselves cold as households cannot afford to keep the heating on all the time when it’s bitterly cold outside and afford for the hot water to constant which could lead to poor hygiene as baths and showers are limited.

All these negative points will affect our children, lack of food can create tiredness, and cause the brain not to function as well, hunger can cause mood swings. For those that are no longer being able to socialise in clubs will lead to disappointment and the fear of missing out with friends.

Children that are used to burning energy through exercise may lead to a change in behaviour. Kids that are cold and not eating as well as they should will more than likely end up with more illnesses which will result in time away from school.  If children are unhappy it can lead to mental health problems such as depression.

For our Teachers, Assistants and Nursery Workers please be extra vigilant over the forthcoming months watching for any changes in children’s behaviour, they may suddenly become unhappy due to reasons above. The stresses of the current living crisis are not just going to affect the adults, but the children will bear the brunt of the knock-on effect as well.  If you do see a child suffering, then reach out and we all might be able to provide a little support and guidance.

As the new school year approaches Full Circle are currently recruiting for Primary Teachers, Primary School Teaching Assistants, Nursery Practitioners and Nursery workers.  If you could help put smiles on our younger generations faces, then please get in touch.