Childline: Financial hardship can have an impact on children’s physical and mental health

Children are not immune when parents quarrel over money.

The cost of living crisis has dominated the news in recent years, and more people are tightening their purse strings or worrying about paying bills.

Children across the country are worried about the issue too, as more than 200 counselling sessions were delivered by Childline to young people concerned about financial issues between April 2023 and March 2024.

In the same period, the NSPCC Helpline handled more than 130 child welfare contacts which involved financial issues.

Childline counsellors know that financial hardship can have an impact on children’s physical and mental health. Some say they feel like a burden or that financial pressure has affected their self-esteem, while others worry about the impact on their education and future job prospects.

One 15-year-old girl told Childline counsellors: “My parents argue constantly over money issues. They say horrible things to each other.

“They never say anything like that to me, but it feels like I am invisible when it’s happening. I just sit upstairs in my room and can hear them all the time just arguing.”

The NSPCC and Childline websites contain some useful resources which might be useful to anyone concerned about finances.

For young people, building confidence and self-esteem can help improve their mental wellbeing no matter what they are going through.

Simple things like eating healthily and exercising regularly are really important, as is the power of music. Songs can help improve mood and that in itself can make a huge difference to wellbeing.

Our Childline counsellors are available around the clock to offer support to any young person, whatever they are going through, while they can also speak to others their own age on our moderated message boards.

Some young people might feel stressed or worries about making decisions about the future if finances are a concern, especially if they are worried about the cost of university or college.

It could help if they talk to a teacher or Childline counsellor about their choices and available support, while websites like the Mix (www.themix.org.uk), and Career Connect (www.careerconnect.org.uk), can help young people manage their money, plan a career or further education.