How to Talk to Children About Losing Your Job

How to Talk to Children About Losing Your Job Dealing with a layoff, or getting fired, can feel awful which is why talking about it with your children can be an extremely sensitive situation. Here are a few tips to help you do it.Pick the right words when talking to your kidsDr. Michele Borba, a consultant, educational psychologist,and author,writes on her sitethat when talking to your children about having lost your job, you should keep the explanation simple and age-appropriate.Young children are literal so watch your terminology. I lost my job, may make a kid wonder So why dont you find it? I welches fired might mean someone is trying to shoot you. I was let go could be construed as why your friends didnt grab onto you tighter. Terms such as layoffs, recession, foreclosure, and downsizing confuse a teen.You might start with a question What have you heard? or a simple explanation I dont have a job anymore so for a while we wont have as much money to pay for things, she writes.Be p repared your children may not handle the news with kid glovesNancy Collamer, an author, career consultant, semi-retirement expert and speaker,toldThe Wall Street Journalin 2009 about this possibility.Parents assume their kids will be supportive after learning the news, but in reality, your child might not react in predictable ways, particularly if the financial impact on their lives will be sudden and severe. Some children respond with great empathy, but many get angry or shut down and say nothing. As much as you might be in need of comfort, dont expect much sympathy from your child, at least not initially, she told the publication.Hopefully, this will make things easier at home.When looking for a new job, there are a few things to consider once its time to speak with a qualifikation employerDont lie about being laid off in your next job interview You might just dig yourself into a big hole.Suzy Welch, a management author, co-founder of theJack Welch Management Instituteand CNBC co ntributor,told the sitethat this is never a good idea.Dont make up a story Ive said it before, and Ill say it again Lying is never good, she told CNBC. Turn the conversation towards why you want to join the new company. Explain why this job is so right for your skills, your values, and your career goals. say this insteadThe Harvard Business Reviewfeatures commentaryfromJohn Lees, a speaker, broadcaster, career strategist in the UK, and author ofHow to Get a Job You Love, about how to properly discuss your layoff during a job interview.Once youve moved past your initial layoff story, work on crafting asimple explanationfor your layoff that you can share with professional contacts and potential hiring managers, suggests Lees. Develop an objective, short, and upbeat message that shows youre not a victim and youre not stuck. Lees suggests saying something like My former company went through an extensive restructuring. Ive been given an opportunity to rethink my career, and what I am l ooking for now is XYZ. Its a strong technique that moves you from past to present to future in only a couple of sentences, says Lees.This article originally appeared on Ladders.