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Home › Articles › Family › Raising Toddlers During Recession

Raising Toddlers During Recession

Tips for Communicating with Small Children in Hard Times

By Katherine Bontrager

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Dr. Altman urges parents to provide only the information that their child can handle from a developmental and emotional level. "Parents are supposed to be in charge and take care of the family, and if the kid feels they aren't, it makes them feel very vulnerable and anxious," Dr. Altman says. "On the whole, it's best to dole out only the information they need, without big embellishments they don't need to hear. If there are going to be dramatic cut backs, it makes sense to tell little kids, but make it simple and emphasize the positive. Something along the lines of, 'Money's a little tight now, honey, because things are so expensive, and I'm paid a bit less, so we're not going to go out as much. But we're going to play all sorts of cool games at night together! Let's make a plan. Monday is Candy Land Night, Tuesday is Guess Who night...' Same principle for downsizing a home: 'We need to move, but we're going to get a cool cozy house over in a new neighborhood, and I hear there are lots of kids in that neighborhood!'"

But Dr. Goodman is quick to caution against lying too much and too often to your children – even if you think the little white lies aren't going to hurt them. Kids are intuitive creatures and often can see through even Mom and Dad's best-intentioned fibs. Children need to be able to trust their parents.

Routine, Hugs and Fun

"Whether you are downsizing a house due to financial situations or just moving for other reasons, preparing small children for the move is important for a less stressful transition," Dr. Porter says. "First, it's important for parents to get their own stress under control so that there are fewer arguments about money in front of the children. Children need to be reassured that the family is going to remain together even though times are financially difficult."


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