AIBU to be sad and shocked by this article?

[LittleDorrit]

Have just been reading this:

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/18/child-poverty-labour-eradicate-promise

and I am shocked by the conditions this family is living in, but in particular how little/what sort of food they are able to afford.

It's not so much an AIBU issue, but just wondered whether others in similarly difficult circumstances think this is typical, or whether the mother could try to buy other types of food (e.g. rice, lentils, etc.) or perhaps be able to afford to spend a bigger proportion of her budget on food... £20 is very little.

jeez, I'd rather my tax contributions went to helping someone like her than contributing towards Fred Goodwin's obscene pension pot, or funding wars...

as an example, my 11 year old son is currently eating
Breakfast - 3 weetabix and half a pint of milk, 4 peices of toast and an apple.

Lunch - sandwiches, juice, fruit, yougurt, etc

After school snacks, - more fruit, and more milk and a sanwich

Dinner - meat/fish, pasta or potatoes, 3 different kinds of veg - adult portion.

And he often wants a snack before bed.

I also have an 8-yr0old.
We go through a loaf of bread a day and 2 pints of milk a day, and3 lbs of apples a week, just as an example.

I look back with fondness when a single chicken breast used to feed both of them with a scoop of peas and a blob of mash..

"I look back with fondness when a single chicken breast used to feed both of them with a scoop of peas and a blob of mash.. "

• so true.

I go through about 4-5 pints a day of milk - but that's with DS3 still drinking 3 (occasionaly) 4 9oz bottles a day.

Are people still going on about the tv?

She could sell her tv and then she would have what £50? £100 at a maximum.

That extra money would last her about two weeks, then she would be in the exact same position she was in before she sold the tv, but she would have nothing to do but sit and stare at bare walls once the children were in bed.

I'm presuming that those who are telling her to sell the tv are not skint, single parents, who dread the end of each day because they sit there alone, all night every night. They can't afford to go out with friends, they have no one to share their problems with, no one's shoulder to cry on when they have had a bad day. When the children are playing up they can't clock watch and think 'I hope DP/DH comes home early'

It is only them. I know when I had dd1 I found it lonely and depressing on a night. And my mum lived around the corner and paid my mobile phone bill for me so I could have contact to the outside world. My friend lived up the road and would often visit me bearing wine and cream cakes and would sit with dd1 while I had a bath.

But on those nights when I was alone. I still sat and cried. Especially if I knew my friends/family were having a night out/meal at a restaurant.

The only thing that I could look forward to was when dd1 in bed and I'd pop on a dvd and have a hot chocolate.

If some one had sugested to me that I should sell the only two things that kept me sane I'd have punched them.

Louise is alone every night. I can't imagine how hard and lonely that must be. Thank god I had family and good friends close by.

Goodness my dd at 6 months was eating three weetabix for breakast and would scream for more if I dared only to give her two, It isn't just boys that can put the food away and create hugh shopping bills

As for all thise of you that think she should get rid of her tv - dare you to put a black bin bag over your tv for the week and report back your findings

Acutally I've been thinking.
She should just buy one cabbage per week and make soup. Bread and water for snacks.
She could make her own candles from mouse droppings and cut her electiricty bill in half.
And spend the long lonely evenings counting her blessings, she has a roof over her head after all.

mollyroger

lol Molly - and she should make sure it's 35p (or whatever it is now) "M" value bread that looks and tastes like cardboard and has absolutely not nutritional content what-so-ever

As Long As Its Not Savoy Cabbage, That Would Be Taking The Piss

ROFL

Some people are nodding in vigorous approval, you know

Spendthrift

She could use that money to buy a needle and thread and do some bloody mending.

Instead of using water for the bath and running up the bill, she could just spit on them and let them dry in front of the candles.

hahahahaha expat

I drink only London tap water. I look pretty good on it however many people's insides it's been through. I don't watch TV. I don't suffer for that. Surely she'd be better able to improve her mind if she just listened to radio 4 and had vigorous walks to the local library to buy books. She coudl borrow books on how to set up in business or books on how to be a better parent or wgatever she chooses. Also if I can exist without never eating chips I don't know why she can't.

"She coudl borrow books on how to set up in business or books on how to be a better parent or wgatever she chooses."

PMSL that's the funniest thing I've heard all day - how exactly is she going to read these books on setting up businesses when she's improving her literacy (ie READING) skills at the local community centre (not that they'd do her much good if she could read them as she has no money to set up a business).

and Xenia - do you spend every night totally on your own (and most of the day), or do you see people during the day at work, and perhaps go out/have people over in the evenings?

Xenia. Please:

Make some time in your busy schedule and volunteer at your local comprehensive school at one of the extra reading groups. These are often before school starts and the schools need (police-checked) volunteers to listen to the students read, and appreciate any help they can get.

Once you have done this, then please come back and tell us if you can envisage any of those children ever "borrow[ing] books on how to set up in business" or any of the other improving ideas of yours.

You know the saying about not knowing how the other half lives? That applies intellectually as well. You have no idea how weak some people's literacy and numeracy can be, while they are presenting as totally capable in every other way.

makes a mental note not to drink tap water in London

and starting even a very simple business is really difficult in a deprived area.

If I fell on hard times I suppose I could take in ironing as I live in the kind of area that people are not on the bread line and are "time poor" thus may need find a need for my services. I am lucky. I don't think Louise is so lucky.

i cannot believe how some people on this thread are so ignorant to how some people live.

It is not a crime to be poor after all.

If Gordon Brown was to cut VAT on all food, clothes, fuel, and higher it on Fags/booze. Also make Tax cuts from 22% and 40% on all working people to around 8%, wed all be richer. None of us would be in 'poverty'.

If he stopped illegal immigrants being able to come into this country, all working immigrants and gave british people the jobs back.

Stop letting big bosses of complanies take massive bonuses home at christmas, and also stopped making any more cars wed all be fine. Yes living back in 1960 but I dam sure would like the penny sweets back, and the 10p freddo's.

The only reason people get into poverty is becuase the government do not think that iys not poosible to survive with your two kid on £130 a week. Gordon Browns sitting there paying his arse wiper £35,000 ayear of tax payers money. I wonder how hed feel wiping his arse with Tesco's own Toilet paper?

Get David Cameron into parliament!