Almost a third of children in Northern Ireland worry about their family having enough money to live comfortably as the cost of living crisis deepens.
Vast numbers of children here are concerned about ‘adult issues’ including family finances while most parents and grandparents fear childhood is getting worse, according to a new report by Action for Children.
Action for Children with YouGov polled three family generations to explore the biggest issues affecting childhood post-pandemic in a revisit of its 2019 study.
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Top issues children surveyed in Northern Ireland identified as preventing them from fulfilling their potential are the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic (45%), too much pressure from school (39%) and poor mental health (36%).
Two years on from the first national lockdown, mental health is now a much bigger worry for children surveyed in Northern Ireland with 23% seeing their own mental health as an issue in 2019, compared to 38% now.
And parents and grandparents surveyed in Northern Ireland are now more attuned to their child or grandchild’s mental health than they were back in 2019. Then, only 24% of parents and 5% of grandparents recognised mental health as a worry – compared to 47% of parents and 35% of grandparents surveyed today.
Covering up a worry is common for children in Northern Ireland with 55% of those surveyed admitting to hiding worries from their parents.
Again, parents appear more in tune, with 61% of those surveyed believing their child keeps their worries hidden from them – up significantly from 46% pre-pandemic in 2019.
Among those surveyed was Cathal McCann, 18, from Ballynahinch who was supported by an Action for Children mental health service, the Blues Programme, along with his mum Mandy, 50, and grandfather Dessie McEvoy, 73.
Mandy said: "I think childhoods today are so much worse than when I was younger. I’m afraid to say I don’t like children to have social media. It makes everything a competition where everything has to the best of the best – this is the hardest bit for children these days, the peer pressure.
"I really worry about their mental health – they can be so fragile and you’re afraid of what to say - it’s all the world of worry for us as parents.
"Cathal is in his last year at school studying for his A-Levels – it should’ve been his final year last year but because he had such struggles with his mental health, he’s had to re-do the year.
"Up until he came out as gay, it was a really scary time, he had a difficult time emotionally. I think his mental health problems wouldn’t have been anywhere as bad if there hadn’t been social media. There’s so much they shouldn’t be able to see but they can - horrible things that shouldn’t be allowed for young minds."
Cathal added: "It has been hard these past few years for me and my friends, we didn’t get to see each other for months on end. For a lot of us we struggled because we just didn’t know if we were going to get through the lockdowns - it seemed the way the world was, it was never going to end.
"A lot of my friends struggled but it was social media that was actually the thing that kept a lot of people sane. It kept us all connected – we made sure everyone was in contact though group chats and invited to go on walks. It was a lifesaver for actually getting out the house when we could and we were able to see everybody, even if at a distance."
Cathal said growing up in a rural area has led to him having less access to youth clubs and places he can go to socialise: "I really do think there’s not enough being done by governments for young people and the support they need.
"There’s very little support for rural areas especially – there are no youth clubs around my hometown now or when I was growing up – and it’s such a shame as what they provide is incredible."
Meanwhile Dessie believes some aspects of childhood are better now, including education and facilities but that with all those opportunities comes significantly more pressure.
He said: "Pressures from the media, all that’s available – social media bullying is a big problem and the curse of drugs especially – I had never any of those dangers. It’s tougher for kids now in that they have to find their own feet from a very early age.
"Children are genuinely worried about the world we’re going to leave them – climate change is the bigger picture at the moment. I don’t think governments are picking up on the issues they face – they’re not serious about their future.
"Children have to be listened to – and be seen to be listened to. They want the same chance at life – governments have to be serious about their issues.
"Parents are really worried too - how they’re managing with kids who don’t have the kind of life they know they should have – parents finding it tough to feed them and meet the rents."
Dessie sees climate change and mental health as the biggest issues for children right now and says change needs to happen: "We have to do more for them. Kids to me they want to see a brighter future. Governments need to wake up."
Lorna Ballard, national director for Action for Children in Northern Ireland, said it is the fundamental responsibility of any government to make sure every generation of children has a better childhood and a brighter future than the last.
"We are deeply concerned about families and children facing impossible choices each day because they don't have enough money to deal with these economic shocks," she added.
"Day in, day out our frontline staff support children grappling to see how they fit into our complex world –navigating big issues including financial worries, climate change and the pandemic. Sadly, since we conducted our research, intensifying money worries and the war in Ukraine will leave children feeling the world is a gloomier place.
"The likely fall-out of the Ukraine conflict with even higher energy bills and inflation rates not seen for a generation, is a double blow for low-income families, already locked in a crippling cost of living crisis. The pandemic also continues to hang heavy, and its impact will be felt long into children’s futures.
"The Executive needs a clear plan to reduce child poverty and it can take immediate action to support those on the lowest incomes by making sure benefits keep pace with the soaring cost of living in the tough months ahead.
"There are political decisions that need to be made in Northern Ireland to protect families and children and prioritise their wellbeing. This year’s election is a chance to vote for leaders who will put children, young people and their families’ needs first."
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