My mum keeps telling me about the money problems my family have. I'm only thirteen and it ends up worrying me, I don't want to know those problems. Every time I ask her not to she shouts at me and makes me feel guilty. I'm starting to feel trapped, I have no one to talk to about it. Please help
Sam
Hi there
Parents and adults have a responsibility to provide for the young people they look after. Money plays a big part in this, and managing money is part of being a parent. Not having a lot of money doesnt mean someone is a bad parent but its not okay for them to start putting family worries onto their children.
Your mum shouldnt be telling you about money problems this isnt your responsibility and you shouldnt need to think about it. You dont have any choice or control over how much money your family has, so its unfair that this problem is now on your shoulders too.
If your mum doesnt listen when you talk to her, you might consider talking to someone else in your family who she might listen to. This could be a grandparent, an aunt or friend. Having someone else talk on your behalf can be good if your mum's not listening to you.
If you feel like you want to help or contribute then perhaps there are other ways to do this. For example, you could make sure things are clean and tidy at home, to take the pressure off your mum. Maybe there are things you can do to get you out of the house and distract yourself with other stuff.
Whatever happens, you can always talk to a counsellor ChildLine is here for you.
I hope this helps, take care. Sam
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