Joanna Fortune: How do we explain to our young children that daddy is out of work?

Being out of work is a serious issue that falls under the category of (hopefully) transient stress, as it will ease when your husband secures a new job and your anticipatory anxiety about money lowers.

My husband was made redundant recently. He’s busy applying for a new job, but it’s a highly stressful time for us both. It’s hard to stay upbeat when we’re worried about paying the mortgage after the redundancy money runs out. We’ve two primary school children and they are beginning to notice something is wrong. How can we explain to them what is happening in a way that does not upset them?

Being out of work is a serious issue that falls under the category of (hopefully) transient stress, as it will ease when your husband secures a new job and your anticipatory anxiety about money lowers. The best thing you can do for your children in the meantime is to take care of yourselves and each other. Focus on maintaining open communication and connection, and ensure you have a support system you can activate for yourselves: Friends, family, professional therapy, etc.