Mom on the Run: Government Furlough of the Salary Mom
With the federal government possibly shutting down, my husband and I, both federal employees, are as worried about money as ever. Somehow our kids will need to learn that the dollars aren't unlimited.
The kids say they're hoping we get to stay home next week.
Under most circumstances, I would be looking forward to the prospect of a few days off that don't involve illness or grueling home improvement.
But there seems to be some question as to whether my husband and I, both federal employees, will be on salary when Monday comes. If the government shuts down, we could be furloughed and lose our paychecks.
Last time I posted here, I talked about discussing sex with kids. Sex might be one of the hardest topics for parents to broach with their children. But I find that money isn't much easier.
There's an established timeline for when most kids will undergo potty training or puberty. That's not the case with money. There's no set moment in kids' lives for them to learn about the limits on their parents' pocketbooks.
We tell the kids that we work to earn our paychecks, that our paychecks pay for our home and our food and that we have to pay for those basics before we buy toys and video games.
“But Mom,” interjects the 8-year-old reading over my shoulder, “we barely ever buy video games anymore. And I'm eight and a quarter.
“Also, you owe me $8.”
I owe my youngest $8 because we ran short of cash a couple of days before I got paid. I raided her piggy bank to get some popsicles and popcorn and a gallon of gas. I owe her older brothers some money, too.
Explaining all the moving parts of a family budget is hard. In some ways it's easier to explain what's going to happen if the government shuts down and Mom and Dad don't get paid for a few days.
It's a lot scarier, though.
I want to be honest with the kids about how fragile economic security can be. The information and perspective we give them now will shape their ability to make sound choices as adults.
Like “The Talk,” this has to be an ongoing discussion, not a one-off conversation.
Unlike “The Talk,” it's one I'm not sure how to handle without scaring the bejeezus out of my kids.
(“Bejeezus?” my daughter snorts. Everyone is an editor.)
Any suggestions?
Laura
8:31 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Time consuming but may do the trick. Set up a play scenario- Even for the oldest, give them a payday, then have them pay bills, with a little extra left, then in a week, when payday comes around again, inform them no pay, but bills still have to be paid. Of course they will have "spent" the little extra by then.
Again, time consuming but just may do the trick. There are some kids that only "get it" by visual example. We recently Put our 18 year old on a budget, gave him his debit card, showed him how to use online banking, and told him to budget for all his activities. Of course he blew through the funds and found himself 30 minutes from home in need of fuel with $5 left in his account. Lesson learned, He budgets much wiser now. Good luck
As of the writing of this comment it seems your pay is safe, as well as my husbands.
Kate Yemelyanov
3:51 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
Laura, thanks for your comment. "Time-consuming" is the key issue with teaching the kids about money and everything else - we have to be consistent with our approach over time for the lessons to sink in. It's something I wish I were better at (the money part and the consistent-over-time part). It sure was a relief to wake up last Saturday and find out that we'd have one less worry to deal with!