Schoolchildren 'demanding expensive gadgets for the playground'

20/08/2008

Budgets are being stretched by the cost of kitting children out for the new school year, insurer Sheilas' Wheels said today.

According to new data from the firm, some families are spending up to £1,600 on their offspring - with many demanding expensive phones and mp3 players to be bought for them to show off in the playground.

Sheila's Wheels found that two in five children bring their mobiles in to school, while one in five uses their mp3 player.

Another three per cent of the style-conscious youngsters even take their hair straighteners with them in their bags - while four in ten parents say that they feel "pressured" to spend big on a top-of-the-range gym kit.

Faced by these demands, a total of 87 per cent of parents said that they would be shopping around for the best deals in order to make their "back to school" purchases cheaper.

Jacky Brown at Sheilas' Wheels home insurance commented: "Every parent knows that it's costly to kit out a child for school with the basics, let alone designer gear and must-have gadgets."

Tags; Income Worries and Debt, Budgeting Advice,

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