What fun is a recession...

...if you aren't worried about your job too?

Very shitty news, or rather lack of news, on the job front. Rob's firm is neither confirming or denying that they will be contracting out his entire tech department to India. Fun!!! Or, rather, the complete opposite.

So this begins a week of lessons I hate to impart to the children but will probably make them stronger in the end. The education involving wants versus needs with some old fashion Boy Scout lessons on how to be prepared. We are a team, I always tell my kids. We stick together and help each other out. Sometimes we have to put each other before ourselves. Well, daddy needs us to help him. He works everyday to give us everything we need and a whole lot of what we want. Now he has the stress of losing the sole family income hanging over his head. It sucks and its not fair so we all need to be part of the solution.

So, as of this week, needs take priority and the wants fund is to be funneled into a very rainy day account. The kids have been asked to give up some activities. Only one Spring activity is allowed, and they chose art class. No more quick trips to Chapters or lunches out. We are going to all pull together so that if the worst should happen, we can weather it without too much pain.

I am impressed at how well they are handling the giving things up portion of this lesson. Alex said that it was okay if he didn't do gym class because he could always see his friends at the park or playdates, and that was free too! I am very proud of them. Best case scenario, nothing happens and we've learned that we can make do with less and save lots of money. Unfortunately, it will probably take until early 2010 before we can really feel secure again. Worst case scenario, we muddle through like everyone else.

I want the kids to be aware but not scared. Never scared. Rob is too talented and educated to ever fear too long a bout of unemployment. Still, so much uncertainty hangs in the air. The kids know that they will always have what they need and that alone makes me feel better. So many people can't even say that. Especially in this economic climate. I was told, long ago by a very smart man, that kids can't learn all the life lessons they need when their worlds are too perfect. As much as I dream about pretty bubbles to stick my children in, I know that one day they will be grown up and face some pretty difficult days themselves. Just like earlier lessons faced during times of loss and grief, they have seen that there is a beginning, a middle and an end to all these situations. We can be sad, mad and even scared but we come out the other side in tact. Always.