You're losing your job and you work from home.
Seriously though, for others reading, please do not burden your kids with this. My kids have gone through their dad being laid off and we kept upbeat about it that he would be home a lot more. If they asked for lunch out or a trip to some expensive Trampoline park we said we were saving money right now and suggested something else. Don't make them worried you're going to end up homeless.

Anonymous wrote:Please stop responding to the troll people.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I just dropped swim and tae kwon do. I said, “we’re taking a break from swim and tae kwon do right now, but we can go back later.” Done. I am switching from some expensive camps to less expensive ones, and she already knew about the expensive ones, so that will require more conversation. I will probably tell her it’s not in our budget right now. She is very aware that Trump is firing me.

Just tell her the other camp was cancelled—please don’t burden a child with money problems. I speak from experience as a kid I spent many sleepless nights crying into my pillow worried about my parents’ finances.

I know the last thing you need is a research project, but honestly, start looking right now for free/super low cost stuff and structure your summer around it.

My daughter thinks going to my father’s house in a normal suburb a few states away is an incredible vacation. Bonus if we bring her cousins. The public library, the municipal pool, and the free nature facilities and public parks there are as much a vacation to her as a fancy resort (and we do both). Are there things like that in your life? 5 and 8 do not need to know about finances yet.

I'm so sorry, OP. A lot of folks are either in your shoes right now or can really empathize.

Kids will take their cues from you. So just be upbeat and sell what the summer is going to be. No camps and just fun at the park or pool? They might actually love that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your 8 year old is not a babysitter. The county has low cost camps.

Do you know that some people still can’t afford even low cost camps?

NP. I know that, and that means an ADULT needs to not work in order to watch their children.

Since the adult will need to work if the kids are going to have things like “a house” you’re going to have to be judgmental elsewhere.

Bullshit. What if the kids were 1 and 4. Would they have the 4 yr old watching the 1 yr old? No, no they would not. They'd figure something else out. Which is what they need to do now with the 8 yr old and 5 yr old.

Or what? You’ll judge them? Cool.

You know how much the judgement of an internet stranger costs? A lot less than camp.

Jesus. People are horrible. One thing everything is showing me is that there is an inherent joy people are finding in other people going through a hard time. This sucks, I'm sorry, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your 8 year old is not a babysitter. The county has low cost camps.

Do you know that some people still can’t afford even low cost camps?

NP. I know that, and that means an ADULT needs to not work in order to watch their children.

Since the adult will need to work if the kids are going to have things like “a house” you’re going to have to be judgmental elsewhere.

Bullshit. What if the kids were 1 and 4. Would they have the 4 yr old watching the 1 yr old? No, no they would not. They'd figure something else out. Which is what they need to do now with the 8 yr old and 5 yr old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your 8 year old is not a babysitter. The county has low cost camps.

Do you know that some people still can’t afford even low cost camps?

How did they afford daycare?

Day care vouchers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your 8 year old is not a babysitter. The county has low cost camps.

Do you know that some people still can’t afford even low cost camps?

OP and spouse are contractors. They are probably each making $100K or more. They have low income waivers for the county programs too.