We all have seen and heard the news: the economy is in bad shape. While it does show signs of looking up, money is still tight. Unfortunately, kids have begun to feel the pinch of the economy. It’s no longer feasible to go out to eat as often or to see a movie every weekend. It can be stressful! Here are some tips to keep in mind when talking to kids about the economy:

1. Don’t be too dramatic. Avoid telling them that you don’t have enough money to pay the mortgage or the car payment. These types of statements will only cause anxiety.
2. But be honest. If you lost your job, tell them. If you are staying home everyday, worried about finding a new job, they are going to feel that stress. Be honest about the situation.
3. Emphasize the positives. Make sure that your children know they will always have a plate of food on the table and a warm bed to sleep in. It’s easy to dwell on the negatives, but make sure you stay optimistic. At the end of the day, you’re still the one person that they look up to the most.
4. Listen! Sometimes it may seem like our kids’ problems pale in comparison to our financial issues, but we need to take time out to listen to them. Even if they don’t have a plasma screen or the latest gaming system, knowing that they have parents to come home to who will listen to and support them is the most important thing.

Tags: children, economy, talking to kids about economy

This entry was posted on Friday, July 17th, 2009 at 11:47 am and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.