Victoria S

Dreading winter and Christmas, everything costs more, days out cost more and aren't as good as they used to be, quality and value for money wise. Before lockdown a Christmas market would mean a large hot drink shared, bratwurst each and free entertainment in town. Now the entertainment may be free but the drinks are too expensive even to share and it's one bratwurst tween everyone. But keep smiling, the pressure is on the parent to make a crumb look like gold dust in our children's memories. Give them happy memories, oh we're freezing cold and can't turn heating on. Snuggle as a family under a blanket for warmth and call is cosy, for the kids sake, call it cosy. Can't afford Christmas dinner? Make the most of whatever the food bank gives you and call it a blessing, most families get to choose what they have but others have to be grateful for the cheap bits others don't want. Call it a blessing, be grateful, make it special, don't let the kids see how worried and cold and angry you are.

It won't be that bad for us this year, I'm one of the luckier ones in that I have friends who help out at Christmas but for most in my level of income this isn't most definitely not the most magical time of year.