MORE school parent groups are finding ways of easing the financial pressure associated with First Holy Communions.
Department stores are also responding to parents struggling with unemployment and the rising cost of living, by stocking a range of reasonably priced children’s clothing.
A recent survey found children’s outfits for the day cost just over €200, down one third on the previous two years.
In the years before the recession, it was not unusual for parents to hire limousines and bouncy castles as well as shelling out on expensive dresses, suits, make-up and spray tans.
Your Child’s First Communion, a glossy magazine that claims to cater for all budgets, is now available — months before the Communion season.
Defending the magazine, the publisher said it was issued in January as it was the time advertisers start stocking dresses.
Áine Lynch, chief executive of the National Parents Council Primary, said parents should not start panicking about the big day because the cost involved could be managed very effectively.
"Parents’ associations can really help out with preparations for the Holy Communion season," she said.
"A lot of the costs arise from a feeling of pressure felt by parents to make sure their children don’t stand out as different."
Some parents’ associations have been playing a crucial role in reducing costs by holding sales of previously worn Communion outfits.
Ms Lynch said that parents’ associationshave also organised post-Communion parties where the adults brought a dish.
"As well as saving the cost of bringing the extended family to a hotel for a meal, the post-Communion parties allow the children to play with their friends, which, quite often, is what they prefer to do," she said.
"I think the power of parents in a school collectively is very important because, very often, the costs spiral because parents don’t know what other families are doing."
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has raised concerns over the cost of the day.
Volunteers have found families remain in arrears on energy bills because they were paying back money lenders months after Communions.
A spokesperson for the SVP said a lot of parents who were just about managing to make ends meet went to moneylenders to pay for the Communion.
"We also find that once people go to money lenders they find it extremely difficult to get away from them," he said.
A recent survey found children’s outfits for the day cost just over €200, down one third on the previous two years.
In the years before the recession, it was not unusual for parents to hire limousines and bouncy castles as well as shelling out on expensive dresses, suits, make-up and spray tans.
Your Child’s First Communion, a glossy magazine that claims to cater for all budgets, is now available — months before the Communion season.
Defending the magazine, the publisher said it was issued in January as it was the time advertisers start stocking dresses.
Áine Lynch, chief executive of the National Parents Council Primary, said parents should not start panicking about the big day because the cost involved could be managed very effectively.
"Parents’ associations can really help out with preparations for the Holy Communion season," she said.
"A lot of the costs arise from a feeling of pressure felt by parents to make sure their children don’t stand out as different."
Some parents’ associations have been playing a crucial role in reducing costs by holding sales of previously worn Communion outfits.
Ms Lynch said that parents’ associationshave also organised post-Communion parties where the adults brought a dish.
"As well as saving the cost of bringing the extended family to a hotel for a meal, the post-Communion parties allow the children to play with their friends, which, quite often, is what they prefer to do," she said.
"I think the power of parents in a school collectively is very important because, very often, the costs spiral because parents don’t know what other families are doing."
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has raised concerns over the cost of the day.
Volunteers have found families remain in arrears on energy bills because they were paying back money lenders months after Communions.
A spokesperson for the SVP said a lot of parents who were just about managing to make ends meet went to moneylenders to pay for the Communion.
"We also find that once people go to money lenders they find it extremely difficult to get away from them," he said.