The recession stresses out kids, too
I walked in the door from shopping the other night, and Lily had a little office set up on the floor in the foyer. 
She had her pink telephone, a stack of computer paper, the kind with the green and white stripes, and Bob's old computer keyboard. She was "typing'' furiously.
She got up and came to me in the kitchen. "My boss said if I don't get my work done, I'm going to lose my job!'' she told me.
"Wow, really?'' I asked.
"And my house. And my kids!'' she added.
Ummm. I guess Mommy and Daddy should not be talking so much about the bad economy, pending layoffs in various industries including our own, and the price of gas and food.
Whoops.
Then last night she asked me as I tucked her into bed: "Do we have enough food to eat? Are we going to run out?''
"Yes, we have enough food, and we have jobs so we make money and can buy more,'' I assured her.
"Good'' she said, "because I have $100 in my wallet and I want to buy a giant toy.''
I had never thought of raiding her little pink mermaid wallet to buy groceries. Until that moment.
Let's hope and pray we never get that desperate!
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
South Florida Parenting is your guide for local events and things to do with your family. Our site offers resources, features and insightful columns on all types of parenting issues.
Parents and their children can access a multitude of free educational resources.