Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer from Ohio, where she lives with her husband and two kids. Visit her blog, TheYoungMommyLife.com, for daily musings about the issues young moms face.
Twice this week we’re heard stories of people, unable to cope with the demands of life as an unemployed parent, who resorted to a murder-suicide as their only way out. Once in a California neighborhood and once in a Columbus community. The economy is hurting folks on both coasts and all areas in between.
In light of these recent events, it’s hard not to comment on the impact the current recession is having on families. Stressed out dads, unable to put food on the table, perhaps feel like less of a man and a failure as a father. Moms, working or not, can sense the shift in the household and might not know what to say or how to fix it. Children are vulnerable to the stress too, which only adds to the feeling of helplessness pervasive throughout the home.
Let’s make sure we all look out for one another during this economic crisis. Have people recently been let go at your job? Send them a card and an offer to help if they need it. If they’re having a particularly rough time, sending them a gas card or a gift card to the local supermarket in the mail wouldn’t hurt. Let’s make sure we act as a community, instead of focusing inward on the individual.