Poor despite work: How a woman from Waakirchner raises her children alone

Created: 2022-11-30Updated: 2022-11-30 6:33 p.m

Capable mother: Jessica Lindhamer (right) raises her children Jamie (8) and Leonie (12) alone.

She works in a bakery.

By starting work early at 4:30 in the morning, she is able to juggle job and family.

© TP

Jessica Lindhamer takes care of two children alone – and just barely makes ends meet.

Like every mother, she wants her children to lack for nothing.

That's why she doesn't even treat herself to new glasses.

It is people like Lindhamer who we support with our “Readers help readers” campaign.

Waakirchen – Jessica Lindhamer is sitting at the table in her apartment with her children Jamie (8) and Leonie (12).

She has arranged pastries on a plate.

Lindhamer owes the delicacies to her job in a bakery.

Your employer grants perks to employees.

That's not the only thing she's grateful for: "My employer also takes my situation into account, so I can balance job and family quite well."

It wouldn't work any other way: Lindhamer is a single mother.

Jamie and Leonie get up alone in the morning and get ready for school on their own – their mom has long since gone to work.

At 4.30 a.m. she has to start work in Schaftlach, her alarm clock rings at 4 a.m.

"The advantage is that I'm done by noon." That way she can pick Jamie up from the (paid) lunchtime care.

A bus takes him there after class, but not back.

No maintenance from father

However, the early start to work is also exhausting, especially since Lindhamer has no one to help her in everyday life.

"I'm constantly tired and exhausted," she says.

“Of course, the children want to do something in the afternoon, like tobogganing in the winter.

It takes a lot of strength for me to pull myself together.” Her ex-partner suffers from an illness, which is why a weekend with her father is usually not possible.

That's why Lindhamer doesn't get any maintenance payments for her children.

The youth welfare office only pays maintenance advances – help for children of single parents whose other parent is unable to pay.

Out of consideration for Jamie and Leonie, Lindhamer has previously worked part-time.

Jamie in particular needs a lot of attention because he is suffering from the separation from his father.

Nevertheless, from January she will be working full-time to cope with the increase in utility costs that she has received due to the rise in energy prices.

She now pays €1,200 including heating instead of €900 as before.

Even with a full-time salary – Lindhamer will receive 2500 euros gross from January and expects 1800 euros net – there is hardly anything left for the remaining living expenses.

"It's difficult," says Lindhamer.

"Both of the kids need clothes, and they grow extremely fast." While she specifically searches for second-hand clothes, she doesn't always find what the kids need at the moment.

Jamie, for example, plays soccer.

Training has recently taken place indoors, which is why he now also needs indoor shoes.

Like every child, Jamie and Leonie sometimes lose a hat or glove.

Buying a replacement is difficult.

Children want to go to the cinema and the swimming pool

This is only the bare minimum.

How much she would like to go to the cinema or the swimming pool with her children!

And grant them at least one wish at Christmas.

“You see other kids wearing adidas and Nike branded clothes.

Of course they want that, too,” says Lindhamer.

Always having to say that it's not possible gets to her.

Also worried about whether her car, built in 1999, will continue to drive.

After all, she needs it to get to work.

"It's not starting at the moment, maybe it's the spark plug," says Lindhamer.

She had recently had the exhaust pipe repaired.

An acquaintance had installed the spare part for her at a friendly price – the workshop would have been priceless.

And yet that's why there was no longer a tent holiday on Lake Garda in the summer.

"I worry every day," says Lindhamer.

She doesn't even want to think about the fact that she needs new glasses.

And a smartphone for Leonie - communication with the school takes place digitally via the school manager.

"Terrible, this digitization," says Lindhamer.

Fundraiser “Readers Help Readers 2022”

It is people like Jessica Lindhamer who are supporting the 

in this year's "Readers help readers" Christmas campaign.

You can find more about the campaign in this report.