My sister's husband is self employed / unemployed as he has really struggled to find work over the past 14 months. Luckily they have qualified for social welfare payments and they get Mortgage interest supplement for which they are incredibly grateful . They are still struggling to make ends meet but in general they are managing.
The other day she "confessed" to me that despite their difficult circumstances, she is really enjoying having him at home so much. She works part time a couple of nights a week so they end up being together a lot. Like most self employed people, he used to work long hours and often weekends, and she more than once had to take the annual family holiday with the kids on her own as a job had come up.
Now after the initial panic at having no/limited work has subsided a little, a kind of routine has evolved . They get up together, get kids to school. If he has gotten any work he goes to do that. (All declared by the way, occasionally he gets a day or two.)He surfs the net and applies for jobs / calls to Fas (he finds their online jobs not very up to date). They have lunch together, maybe go for a walk and collect the kids. He will do any jobs around the house or there is always a family member or neighbour who needs a dig out with something - he is a tradesman.
He would and does take anything that is offered to him workwise, but in the meantime they have found this unplanned time together to be really good for their relationship and hugely beneficial to the children; being collected by their father and help with homework / time together.
I know if you are in dire straits money wise and continually worrying about the mortgage / work /losing your home / your family's future, unemployment is a recipe for depression and misery and the above wouldn't represent everyone's experience. I don't want to downplay the detrimental effects on my sister's situation but it is just another side to it.
This led me to ask consider two questions.
1.) Could this recession possibly have an unexpected beneficial side effect on families?
and
2.) Could you stick your other half all day long? I know some newly retired people almost kill each other!!
A.
The other day she "confessed" to me that despite their difficult circumstances, she is really enjoying having him at home so much. She works part time a couple of nights a week so they end up being together a lot. Like most self employed people, he used to work long hours and often weekends, and she more than once had to take the annual family holiday with the kids on her own as a job had come up.
Now after the initial panic at having no/limited work has subsided a little, a kind of routine has evolved . They get up together, get kids to school. If he has gotten any work he goes to do that. (All declared by the way, occasionally he gets a day or two.)He surfs the net and applies for jobs / calls to Fas (he finds their online jobs not very up to date). They have lunch together, maybe go for a walk and collect the kids. He will do any jobs around the house or there is always a family member or neighbour who needs a dig out with something - he is a tradesman.
He would and does take anything that is offered to him workwise, but in the meantime they have found this unplanned time together to be really good for their relationship and hugely beneficial to the children; being collected by their father and help with homework / time together.
I know if you are in dire straits money wise and continually worrying about the mortgage / work /losing your home / your family's future, unemployment is a recipe for depression and misery and the above wouldn't represent everyone's experience. I don't want to downplay the detrimental effects on my sister's situation but it is just another side to it.
This led me to ask consider two questions.
1.) Could this recession possibly have an unexpected beneficial side effect on families?
and
2.) Could you stick your other half all day long? I know some newly retired people almost kill each other!!
A.