OUT OF WORK

From TODAY, Voices
Friday, 06-March-2009

By Dr James Dobson


Unemployment doesn’t just affect individuals; it can devastate entire families.

Author Donna Partow, a mum with an unemployed husband, says unemployment is just plain hard work and it’s tough on everyone.

Her husband, Cameron, began a job search with high hopes and newly acquired time for their little girl. But the “Aha” of finding a new job just didn’t come. Cameron networked, knocked on doors, circled classified ads and even dialled recruitment hotlines until midnight. He and Donna began to answer their daughter’s daily requests with, “Well, we’ll do that when Daddy gets a job.”

Soon, they realised that life can’t be put on hold! Today is where we live. So the Partows began to do things their daughter asked about, like going out for fast food. But they would only buy one item and eat the rest of their meal at home. They learned to give their daughter a “yes” or “no” answer, and they discovered that keeping up social contacts provides encouragement and support for both parents and kids.

Now, none of this will bring employment, or relieve the overall financial strain, but it may help keep things in perspective. A family struggling through the strain of joblessness can be a family that grows together, living each day to the full while planning for tomorrow.