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[quote=Anonymous]I'm a woman who lost my job around age 40 with two young kids at the time.  My husband did have a steady job but I was always more career-driven and the higher earner.

All he did was trust me and keep on fully participating in household and child-related tasks.

I'm mid-50s now and layoff season seems to be coming around again in my industry.  It feels very scary.  But, I think it's very important to focus on steps that help both of you feel in control.  Such as cutting out unnecessary spending.  Maybe you and your kids as a family can figure out ways to cut here and there that will  help.

I'd also recommend...do not stress about your children's college right now.  Many forms of college are available and the US system is pretty flexible.  Maybe not cheap, but flexible. I'd say what's more important is for your kids to benefit from a calmer household in the face of setbacks.  You and your husband will help them by being honest with them but also appearing calm and productive.

During my layoff period, I feel I did not network enough.  It felt awkward.  I did do some things but honestly I floundered a bit without a daily job schedule or highly-relevant networking opportunities.  I did, though, have a baby in the house, so evenings were hard to spend away from home.

What I learned from my layoff was that next time it happens, I would like to do a more intense volunteering job or take up a new hobby.  So that I could be of service to others and/or grow myself in a direction that isn't just a work-related skill.  Someone further up the thread commented on how we are more than just employees.  It is so hard to remember that when your number one concern is getting a new job.  Because family is always there, and feels like part of the normal fabric of your life. I think more is needed to remind oneself that you are more than just your job.  And I don't mean developing 
 a new hobby just to be goofing off.  I mean doing something productive outside of the work sphere and also allowing oneself a little bit of novelty or personal development.

This example below isn't related to a layoff but how I coped with another type of bad time.  During Covid, I went deep into online genealogy as a hobby for the first time.  I learned a lot, developed new skills, and have been able to help others.  It's been fun and comforting and also a very inexpensive hobby.  It enriched my life and is one of the good things that I took away from a trying time.   I hope you and your family can find similar comforts during your tough times.

Best wishes, OP, for you and your husband's job search.[/quote]

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