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.

My grandmother used to tell me that the best thing that you can do when you are faced with a problem is to just sit down, grab yourself a Coke, and do some thinking. Action is always better than reaction. Too many of the world’s problems are caused by rushing into something before we give ourselves time to think. The things we do today will affect our future – but most importantly the future of our children. If we taught our children at an early age to think things through before reacting, maybe we would not be facing some of the problems we are faced with today. Our kids can do a lot of things, but unfortunately we tend to leave them out. Let’s step in and start discussions with them about the world. Let’s teach them how to be better people and how they can get involved with important issues. And in these particularly hard times, why don’t we make the time to sit down with them, grab a Coke, and do some serious thinking.