Over a third (34%) of parents haven’t informed their children about the cost-of-living crisis, a new study finds. The data from spread brand FLORA reveals that over one in five (22%) don’t even intend to discuss the current state of the UK’s economy with their children as they’re too young (61%), don’t want them to feel anxious or worried (32%), or don’t think it’s an issue they should be concerned about (24%).
As the cost-of-living crisis has impacted many areas of Brits lives including the household food budget and the need to reduce waste, three in 10 (30%) parents are unwilling to explain the knock-on effect to their children as they worry it will add more food anxiety, especially for those who are already picky eaters.
To help parents open the conversation around the cost-of-living crisis with their children, FLORA has partnered with Clinical Psychologist, Dr Emma Hepburn, for her advice on broaching the topic sensitively.
Dr Hepburn said: “We can help children learn and understand the importance of budgeting and food planning by integrating it as a fun and engaging activity that’s part of your normal activities. It doesn’t need to be a serious sit-down conversation, either. For example, when making budget-friendly choices at the supermarket, explaining that products like FLORA can be a great alternative to both dairy butter and oil, so will reduce the number of products that need to purchased. This way they learn from observing, and it provides lots of opportunities to talk about food and the choices you are making.”
Top five tips on how to discuss the cost-of-living crisis with your children
Turn the supermarket trip into a treasure hunt
Children are more likely to eat their food if they are involved in picking the ingredients, and whilst searching for items, explain why you might buy certain products. For example, purchasing FLORA spread that will be used in their packed lunches for sandwiches, as well as using it as an ingredient to bake cakes over the weekend.
Put your maths cap on
For children who understand numbers, ask them to keep a tally of the total price while shopping and get them to check the receipt at the end to get a sense of money and how this relates to food.
Get them involved in the kitchen
This will help your child(ren) understand different foods and how meals are made, particularly when it comes to how you can use food efficiently. When baking, spreading, or frying, show them how products like FLORA can be used for all different cooking methods and therefore save on costs.
Let them know how to repurpose leftovers
Don’t make kids feel guilty about leftovers, instead keep it positive by showing them the solutions for leftovers by making something else with it or saving it for a future meal. Explain to them in an age-appropriate way why reducing food waste is important, as it helps reduce food costs and looks after the planet.
Encourage questions
Always let your child(ren) know it’s okay to ask questions and speak about things they are worried about. Answer them in as honest way as possible and at the same time, let them know it’s not their responsibility to make decisions about money or planning but that they are helping with family tasks.
Flora’s consultant nutritionist, Rob Hobson said: “Getting children to be hands on throughout the process of buying food and preparing meals will help them understand the reasoning behind the choices you’re making. For example, showing them how to repurpose leftover veggies and fruits for muffins and cakes and use versatile ingredients like FLORA to help reduce shopping costs. Not only does this educate children on how to eat well, but also to be mindful of costs, which are key skills they can carry through with them as they get older.”
