Erik W

Hi, like yourself my daughter is now 16 and is aware of some of the financial hardships that are are living with. However, over the past six years since my partner, her mum, left I have tried to shield her as much as possible. This has never been easy but she is also strong and resilient. She has many friends from differnt backgrounds so is fully aware of the differences that families have. If she needs clothes she will often look in local charity shops rather than asking for new items. I have always put my daughters needs and well being before my own as all parents do, but this does mean that I often have to go without basic needs. Apart from a warm coat I bought myself with some of the vouchers I received from Covid Realities I have not purchased any clothes for myself for six years. My daughter finds this difficult and sometimes embarrasing as the ones I do own are now falling to pieces. During lockdown, it was my daughter who talked to a leader at a group she attends about the difficulties we were facing with buying food and they arranged for a food bank to contact us with some help. For this I was extremely proud of my daughter as it was not something I would of done myself, so I am guessing that she was more aware of our financial situation than I was aware of. I do believe that the situation we find ourselves living in is making my daughter a stronger person who will always put others first and go forward to live a happy and fulfilled live in the future.