Amy Dunn is the biggest cheerleader for her four children. She's the loudest person at the sidelines of weekend sport and at school award ceremonies.
But as a single mother, she's had to make her household budget stretch further as cost-of-living pressures rise.
"I've got four children ... you want to give them the world and you want to give them everything but you can't," she said.
The single parent has noticed a grocery shop of 20-30 items used to cost about $50-$100 but since the pandemic, the cost has risen to about $200 per shop.
Ms Dunn's household is now having treat nights only once per month. They go down to the park to run and do shadowboxing instead of paying for the gym.
They go to the same rugby club to make the most of sibling discounts. When meat is on sale at the supermarket, Ms Dunn will buy in bulk and put portions into the freezer for later.
Canberra families are likely to be tightening their belts further after the Reserve Bank of Australia lifted interest rates by 0.25 of a percentage point to 4.35 per cent in a bid to bring down inflation.
The silver lining of the cost-of-living pinch is that families are becoming more savvy with their money.
"It teaches you how to save and how to budget and also teaches your children how to do it," Ms Dunn said.
Education charity The Smith Family found more than half of surveyed families found it hard or very hard to afford everything their children needed for school this year.
Of the 2284 families surveyed, more than half cited increases in everyday expenses, such as groceries, rent, home energy costs, petrol and school essentials.
About one third of respondents said school has been hard or very hard for their children this year. Some of the reasons for this were disability, mental health issues or other health problems, bullying and increased workloads, especially in senior years.
The Smith Family chief executive Doug Taylor said one in six Australian children were growing up in poverty.
"Students experiencing disadvantage often start school behind their more advantaged peers. By the time they reach Year 9, they can be four or more years behind their peers in literacy and numeracy," Mr Taylor said.
"Without additional support, these children are at risk of falling behind or disengaging from school altogether, but a little help can make a big difference to a child's education."
With the support of The Smith Family over 15 years, Ms Dunn's children love school. One daughter aspires to be a doctor, another wants to be in the army and another wants to be a photographer and travel the world. Ms Dunn said her daughters were encouraged by their nan, who fell ill and died in 2020.
"For them to have those goals and that ambition is amazing. Just for their nan to inspire them and to have that drive ... to make her proud, I love it," she said.
- See www.thesmithfamily.com.au for details on their Christmas appeal
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