To be mortified by this

[mortifiedmam]

Dd has free school meals. She's off school (half term has finished here) because she was in contact with a teacher who has tested positive but because she sits at the back of the classroom she was more than 2m away so doesn't have to self isolate but they are being taught by zoom lessons as precaution.

We have just had a letter through the door with a voucher to cover the cost of her lunches for the week. I am so embarrassed that the school felt it necessary to come and hand deliver it to us. At least they didn't knock on the door!

@2bazookas

Don't be ridiculous; the school has gone out of its way to make sure the vouchers arrived as fast as possible, so kids wouldn't go hungry. SOME families are really struggling at the moment. I

FFS did the OP say she didn’t appreciate it or didn’t recognise that other people are struggling or say that she isn’t? She simply said that she found it embarrassing that the school had put themselves out by delivering the voucher.

There should be no shame attached to any kind of assistance but unfortunately FSM is one of the labels that seem to give the green light to others to feel in some way superior. I know lots of people who receive FSM and feel they need to keep it quiet. Ditto patients of mine who have had cause to visit the food bank. It can be uncomfortable to admit to, not helped by people coming along to middleclassplain how lucky they are to get help and to point out that others are worse off.

YouokHun
SM is one of the labels that seem to give the green light to others to feel in some way superior. I know lots of people who receive FSM and feel they need to keep it quiet.

I think this is a really pertinent point. What can we collectively or individually do to overcome that? To make it an absolute non-issue so that people in receipt of any sort of help, don't feel badly about it?

I'm absolutely on OP's side and I think many people are. I also think that sadly, people who feel 'less than' will focus on any negative comments rather than the vast majority which are supportive. I've seen it on so many threads, not just this topic, but any. I suppose that if you feel down, perhaps all you can see is down. :(