How To Tell Your Kids About a Job Loss
Difficult Situation
By Scott Reeves of Minyanville.com
For an adult, the worst part about losing a job is thinking about it.
But a parent's unemployment, no matter how temporary, can shatter a child's sense of order and well-being. Remember that how you handle this difficult time in your life says a lot about you and can affect your children's development.
"Children are watching how you handle the situation," says Carolyn Spigel, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and career coach at New York-based Partners in Human Resources International.
"To feel safe, children need to hear you say unemployment is something that happens to many people at one point or another in a career,” she says. “Normalize the transition for them by helping them understand that unemployment is a temporary situation – not a major disaster or parental weakness. Children need to see you handle the situation with confidence. This will help them learn that they, too, will be able to manage life's challenges."
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