I’ve just been paid and so did the uniform shop today. Fortunately I haven’t had to buy a complete range of new uniform (unlike last year when my daughter started secondary school), so that has helped. But the usual extortionate cost of footwear remains. I’ll be glad of the routine again come September but dread the onslaught of money for trips and various charitable requests / non uniform days, milk, school dinners, etc. Everything is so ridiculously expensive and with rising costs in every other area of my life, this just feels like yet another burden to bear.

Today was a sponsored obstacle course at school, I have already asked family to sponsor a penalty shoot out this year and I felt bad enough doing that. I wasn’t sure who/what the sponsor was even for, another parent at the event said the same. The amount of trips, money each day for tuck shop toast, replacing damaged or lost uniform and coats, then there is a disco tonight which will be £2. The pressure to afford your kids to keep up in school is bad, there shouldn’t feel this financial pressure for school!