How to ensure your child doesn’t become a victim of the cost-of-living crisis

How to ensure your child doesn’t become a victim of the cost-of-living crisis

Students across the UK are facing the most challenging back-to-school period, transitioning back to the classroom following a pandemic resulting in halted learning and amid a spiralling cost-of-living crisis. Yet parents, in particular, are feeling the pressure, with data unveiling that nearly half of UK parents are struggling to pay their bills and four out of ten families with school-age children have been forced to cut back on food. Now, as the cost of everyday essentials rises faster than ever, parent’s may be seeking creative ways to ensure that their children don’t face the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis. Yet despite parents having to face cutbacks in all areas of their lives, a study by MyTutor found that 62% say their child’s education will not be on the list of cutbacks. With this in mind, MyTutor, the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform, unveils their top tips to making sure your child’s wellbeing and education don’t slip.

Work out creative ways to cut costs together
With the weather getting colder and people having to cut back on their energy bills by turning off the lights and keeping the radiator on standby, you can create fun ways to cut costs by having team challenges to see who can save the most energy. Make it a challenge for your kids to turn off the lights, you could make warm blanket forts, and have rewards for green behaviour to save costs – it will also make your kids excited about saving money and foster energy efficiency at a young age.

Source free online learning resources to make sure their education isn’t impacted by the cost-of-living crisis
MyTutor is launching their ‘MyTutor Squads’ for students looking for free interactive learning resources on the subjects that students are struggling the most with. Offering free online tutoring sessions in Maths, Coding, and Smart Study Habits, MyTutor is proof that a well-rounded education that sets your child up for success, doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. ‘MyTutor Squads’ start 10 October and run until 16th December, for all students seeking extra support free online tutoring classes throughout the autumn term.

Subjects:
Maths GCSE (MyTutor Maths Squad) – every Monday at 5pm from 10 October
Study Skills (MyTutor Study Squad) – every Thursday at 5pm from 13 October
Coding (MyTutor Coding Squad) – every Tuesday at 5pm from 11 October

Talk to your child about the cost-of-living crisis
With the cost-of-living crisis creeping into every nook and cranny of how we live our lives, your children are bound to pick up on any anxiety that you may be feeling. Don’t be afraid to talk to your child about the costs rising and that some things in their lives may have to be adjusted because of the financial strain you are under. Be honest and direct when explaining that you may not be able to afford everything that you were able to before, and make sure you stay stern and don’t give into ‘pester power’. Being honest with them about money will teach them at a young age to be responsible with something that they will be dealing with for the rest of their adult lives.

Help your child learn about budgeting and sort out what matters to them
When you speak to your child open and honestly about what you are doing to mediate costs, you can also take the opportunity to teach your child about managing their own money in a smart way. If they have an allowance, teach them to make sure to put some of it away, or sort out with them what is important to them, like spending money for a trip away, or a video game that they have their eye on. Teaching them that practicing good habits with money will stick with them throughout their whole lives, while learning the value of working for what they do make.

Set them up with the tools to budget themselves
New research from money management app HyperJar, has found that a staggering 45% of British parents believe their children will have a much tougher time financially than they have experienced. In light of this, HyperJar CEO and Founder, Mat Megens, stresses the importance of teaching children saving and budgeting skills from a young age, and giving them the necessary responsibility to do so.

With HyperJar’s specialised pre-paid Kids Card, any potential dangers surrounding kids having their own debit cards are mitigated whilst empowering children to build autonomy over their money management from a young age. Firstly, the card is controlled by parents in their own HyperJar app, enabling them to top up any given amount, set spending limits, monitor transactions and even limit where money can be spent to certain retailers.

Children also have their own version of the app, enabling them to have a real-time view of their spending. Their pocket money can also be segmented into any number of digital ‘Jars’, teaching them how to budget and save for various outgoings from an early age. Whilst most standard banks only offer kids’ cards from the age of 11 and above, HyperJar’s unique offering is available for children aged 6 plus. Crucially, for cash-strapped parents amidst the cost-of-living crisis, HyperJar’s Kids Card is completely free to order and use.

Rugged Hank

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

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