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Having the (material) things I need

Our Vision: All children in NSW have the material things they need

Having the material things they need enhances children and young people’s sense of well-being.

Children and young people place importance on the financial security of their family, having enough money to do things together as a family and to participate in social and leisure activities.

Children and young people commonly feel that they need to have particular things to ‘fit in’ with their peers. Those who don’t have enough money to have the ‘right’ things often experience a great deal of pressure. The emotional costs of going without for some children include labelling, shame and exclusion.

Not having enough money for the things they need can also mean that children and young people need to cope with extra family stress and conflict. They sense their parents’ anxiety resulting from financial hardship. Older children with casual or part-time jobs may need to contribute money to family income.

On Kids Stats, having the material things I need looks at:

• Not having enough to eat
• Finding it hard to make ends meet
• Being less well off than others
• Participating less in leisure activities
• Having less access to technology

“Single parents ... have to work and that so she is always worried. Like, I don’t want to open this bill. I know how much it is going to be.” (young person, 14 years)