The difficult financial situation hits families with children hard at Christmas – and more and more people are barely able to make it when the Christmas tables have to be fixed.
In Södertälje, the Pentecostal church has distributed food bags to those in need.
– This year has been completely crazy, says Anna Jansson Mogren.
Outside the Pentecostal church in Södertälje, the queue was long on Tuesday. Here, those who find it difficult to make ends meet can get a Christmas-inspired food bag. Those who bring children also receive a gift card to buy Christmas presents for.
When TV4 Nyheterna talks to the people in the queue for the Pentecostal church, it is precisely Christmas presents that many feel they cannot afford otherwise.
“There won’t be as many Christmas presents”
– It feels worthless. But what to do? It will still be Christmas for the children somehow, but it’s not fun, says Anna Jansson Mogren.
– They understand that there may not be as many Christmas presents now that mother is unemployed, says Anna Gillander.
And the people here are far from alone. According to a survey by Länsförsäkringar, every third family with children is worried about their finances. Of them, half think their children notice.
The private economist: Have a conversation with the children
Stefan Westerberg is a private economist at Länsförsäkringar. According to him, it is good to have an open and honest conversation with the children about the economy.
– The situation may be worse and in this case means a little less Christmas presents. And that it is then very clear that the children have no fault in the situation that has arisen, he says.
At Anna Jansson Mogren’s home, she had that conversation with her son.
– For example, I can’t really give him his weekly allowance, but he has to pawn it, so it’s very boring.