Economic crisis: What to tell the kids

  You may not think your kids are paying attention to what's going on around them when they've got their ears plugged with iPod earbuds or their eyes focused on a video game. But they're much more aware than you think.

  My husband and I have found this out when our kids have overheard our hushed mentions of "We don't have money to go to a restaurant tonight" or "We're not traveling there because it's too expensive."

  As kids do, they over react and worry that "Are we going to have food for dinner?"

  Clearly the current economic crisis (let's hope it gets resolved tonight!) presents great challenges around any household these days.

   So what do you tell the kids?

   Earlier this week, both the Wall Street Journal and KidsHealth offered some suggestions.

   According to the Wall Street Journal, here are some guidelines by ages:

-- Ages 5-9: "Daddy (or Mommy) is a little worried about things at work, but we're taking care of it and our family is going to be OK.

-- Ages 10 - 13: "You've seen the news about how the economy is having some troubles. I'm working hard to help us get through this."

-- Ages 14 - 17: "The weak economy has hurt our business, but we've been through this before. I'm working hard on some new possibilities.""

And consider this from KidsHealth:

-- Discuss current events with your child regularly. It's important to help kids think through stories they hear about. Ask questions: What do you think about these events? How do you think these things happen? These questions can encourage conversation about non-news topics too.

-- Talk about what you can do to help. In the case of a news event like a natural disaster, kids may gain a sense of control and feel more secure if you find ways to help those who have been affected.

What are telling your kids? Do you have any tips?