Poor Kids

[NearlySpring]

Documentary on BBC1 now.

Sat here in tears watching this show following children living in poverty.

One woman, with 3 young girls all under 8. Her partner left her alone and she is struggling with money. The girls were given a sausage roll each for dinner. They are let out to play on a building site and derelict houses- where the he'll is the mother? Mother comes on saying how she can't cope financially- kids saying they have to miss meals as mummy can't always afford food. Next scene, mother has acrylic nails and a massive dog!

AIBU to ask if she can't afford to feed her kids basic cheap meals how the he'll does she feed a massive dog that is bigger than her 3 kids put together!

It must be terrible to be in that situation but surely you get your priorities straight. Who has a pet if they have no money?!!

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

I'm not watching the programme, it's all become terribly scripted and not very enlightening either.

[NearlySpring]

Think you've got the right idea- bloody heartbreaking. I keep thinking of my own dd missing a meal- awful! Puts things into perspective, I was worrying about not being able to afford a holiday this year- these kids just want 3 meals a day and not to live on the 10th floor of a mouldy unfit council estate! :(

[squeakytoy]

Discussing this on the other thread, and watching it here too.

Very scripted and led I think.

:(

[Thingumy]

kinda lived in poverty as a child ,I had a single jobless mother in a council house 1970's-1980's.

We had a dog from the rspca (in the days where you give a donation of £35) and he was loved and fed cheaply and well.

We didn't scrimp on meals as my mother was born of the era that we taught to cook from scratch but we often had tinned food that were rank.

My mother bought nail varnish but in those days there was no nail bars etc,am sure she would of saved up and got them if the option was there.

[theinet]

damp houses are unacceptable and the conditions in the Glasgow flats were appalling. Thank Goodness for 13 years of Labour Government council, helping the poor....

[squeakytoy]

That house where the boy lives is a shithole and there is no excuse for that. The father is able bodied, and at home all day. No need at all to live in squalor. :(

[worraliberty]

Sounds well scripted to me.

Why do they have to play on a building site and derelict houses? Don't they have a street to play in?

[TheLadyEvenstar]

When I was single and struggled financially it was me who went without to feed DS1. I remember often having a mug of marmite and 2 slices of bread for dinner.

[NearlySpring]

Squeaky toy- I thought the same. I understand crap furniture, stained carpets, peeling paint etc. But shit all over the floor, mess, piles of dirty washing up. It is squalor, not just poverty, you can see that they don't clean or even tidy up.

I want to package up all dd old toys and clothes and send them to those 3 poor little beautiful girls who have absolutely nothing :(

Blub...

[LordOfTheFlies]

I was that a young boy had to wear his sisters blouse-with little pleats on it.
OMG-poor boy, that is just setting him up for bullying!
Surely they can get a boys shirt somewhere-Asda/Matalan even a charity shop?

[squeakytoy]

You can get a boys shirt for 50p or less at a jumble sale.

You can buy a sweeping brush in the pound shop and sweep your carpets if you dont have a hoover. (I had to do this when I was in my first flat, as well as live on a pittance).

[worraliberty]

Charity shops, free cycle, ebay...even most schools will give you something from the lost property that's been unclaimed.

Then there are school uniform grants

[honeybehappy]

:( very sad..... Theres no excuse for having such a dirty floor....a stiff broom and sweep it every day. Poor girls having to live like that :(

[Fecklessdizzy]

They could always eat the dog Sorry. Pissed.

[honeybehappy]

what a stupid comment Fecklessdizzy!!!

[squeakytoy]

I would have liked to have seen an example of a family who were houseproud and even if they were living with the basics, clean, rather than 3 examples of the stereotypes that you would expect. Poverty does not need to equate to living conditions that are so filthy.

[LordOfTheFlies]

I was a bit gobsmacked by the supersize dog but maybe they have it for protection?

And looking at her nails close up I don't think she spends that much money on them!

[honeybehappy]

still money she could have spent on the kiddies though

[worraliberty]

Yes but spending any money on false nails and a dog when you can't provide basics for your own kids is forcing your kids into poverty imo.

[Fecklessdizzy]

Sorry. You're right. I had only skimmed the thread, that was a bit off.

[cantspel]

why would she have a big dog for protection? If she is happy for her children to wander off god knows where playing in empty houses she has no fear of her neibourhood.


that child is living so badly purely because of the choices made by the mother on what to spend her benefit money on.

[worraliberty]

It made me smile feckless!

[KoolAidKid]

On the blog written by the guy who may the programme it says he asked about the dog and the mum said it's for protection because she is a single mum on her own with 3 young girls in the middle of a really rough estate.

[Capiche]

i think all the parents must have issues

thus can't find cheap shirts etc easy for people without issues

[GypsyMoth]

Look,they are probably £1 stick on nails from the pound shop

Maybe she thought she was making herself look better.