How do you do it?
My daughter is in year 11 this year. We recently moved out of a bad relationship. Living on our own has been hard. Financially and mentally.
With her 18th coming up, a holiday with friends family (min $200) I'm struggling. I want to give her so much and more, and she is incredibly grateful and understanding. However tonight she is near tears because one of her school teachers keeps banging on about the $400 school camp that is going to be so amazing and so much fun for a week with all their friends before preliminaries etc. Its making her feel like she is missing out when initially she wasnt too concerned, she brought it up to the teacher that not all the students cam afford to go but it hasnt changed. She understands I cannot afford to pay for this camp as she'd much prefer the family trip but I just feel awful as a parent. I feel like a failure.
I had my ex scam me of a few hundred dollar refund that I got but because we paid with his card he got it and refused to give back even though I'd given him the money for😡 that would have paid for the majority of this camp as a surprise for her.
This fortnight all my bills are due, and even with discounted bills I'm still short on money and barely affording food for us. Everything is just so expensive. I've cut out luxuries and non essentials, I work as much as I can get, I budget well and barely get by.
Rant over just needed to get the load off my chest.
Struggling
Struggling
Posted in:
Money
5 Replies
Contact the school and the school chaplain and ask for help. Even if you can half or make a payment plan, I’m sure they’ll find a way to make it work. Things change, moving is expensive, rent sucks right now, but it’ll get better. She’s old enough to work, you’ll get sorted and get on top of your money. Paying off 400 isn’t going to sink you.
I would approach the school. Ask for a payment plan? There maybe some type of relief they can offer!
Sometimes schools can sponsor kids to go who can’t afford it. It might be worth asking. Maybe she can work for the school doing some cleaning after school or organising resources to try to finance it? It’s worth asking just in case it works out. I understand that’s not the point though. You just want the teacher to be less insensitive. My daughter missed a camp due to illness and she’s still feeling the sting as people are still talking about it years later :(
It sounds like she really wants to go but doesn't want to say that because she knows you can't afford it. If it were my child I would save the family trip for another time and let her go on the camp. She can go on family trips anytime but its the last time she will get to go on a school camp. $400 is cheap for a camp, ours cost $3000 which is ridiculous.
Talk to the school, they will likely be able to help. Also, does your daughter have a job? My son is 15 (yr9) and earns $100 a week working Saturday only. He would pay for his own camp if I couldn’t. With the situation you are in she is old enough to at least pay for her extra costs by working