Impacts of Unemployment on Children

I just read this article...apparently, 1 in 7 children in America (that's 10.5 million kids) have at least one parent unemployed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100325/hl_hsn/parentsarentonlyoneswhofeelstressofunemployment

In addition to their health care, nutrition, and potential for higher education being in jeopardy; unexplained anger, anxiousness, aggression, decreased school performance are common for these kids. The article continues to say that pre-teens and teens may be the most affected because they are more aware of what's going on around them and feel the social consequences of unemployment more acutely. I have seen this first hand in particular with my pre-teen daughter...she's more aware of money and not asking for what she might have before.

What I found particularly interesting was what the "experts" recommended...
- Talk with your children about the new reality in your family, but try not to communicate panic.
- Be hopeful and reassuring as best you can.
- Listen to your children.
- Watch for signs of anxiety, worries and fears; some of them may be subtle.
- If you sense a problem, talk to your child's teacher first. If it's a serious problem, seek psychological help.
- If your marriage is struggling, try to make it better. Marital discord adds to a child's strain.
- If you or your partner is experiencing excessive anxiety or depression, get help.

All good advice on the surface...but I think the issue runs much deeper than these solutions can touch. Like teaching our kids:
~ Who is the true source of all our income and belongings?
~ Can He be trusted in and through all of our most difficult trials, even and especially when we don't see the solutions?
~ What is the difference between a want and a real need?
~ What really matters most...our house, cars, clothes...or our family unity?

I've said it to so many of my friends and family...how do folks without a strong foundation of faith deal with the overwhelming amount of uncertainty in the world today? It must be simply terrifying!