When grown-ups are worried about money or work
Kids notice when grown-ups are worried, so tell them something true and short. Give them a kind word and a verse to hold, and keep the weight with the adults.
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad.
Worry is heavy for adults and children alike, and this verse names a small help you can give today. For a child, the kind word might be: “We love you, and this is a grown-up job.”
5Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Pray it out loud with your kids, and pray it alone over the parts they don’t need to hear. “He will make your paths straight” is about God guiding the way you walk; it does not name a job or a number in the bank.
What to say
- Answer the question they asked, at their size. A five-year-old needs one sentence. A ten-year-old may want a few more.
- Say whose job it is: “This is a grown-up problem, and we are working on it.”
- Tell them what is the same this week, like who tucks them in and who picks them up.
- Pray one sentence together: “God, we trust you with our money and our work.”
What to keep with the grown-ups
- The numbers: balances, amounts, how many weeks are left.
- The what-ifs about the house or the job.
- Money arguments. If one starts in front of them, finish it later, and let them see you make up.
- Your own need for comfort. Lean on another adult for that: your spouse, a friend, your church.
If they ask
“Are we poor?” Try: “We are being careful with money right now. That is the grown-ups’ job, and you can always ask me about it.”
“Is a computer going to take your job?” Try: “Some jobs are changing, and I am learning new things for my work. God knows all about it, and I will tell you if anything changes.”
“Are you sad?” Try: “I am a little worried, and that is okay. I am talking to God and to grown-ups about it. You helped me just by asking.”
Let them help, at their size
A small, real job often helps a worried child: planning a cheap dinner together, packing lunches, finding something free to do on Saturday. Make it a gift they give, never a rescue they owe.
For you
Your own worry is real, and Proverbs 12:25 is for you too. Tell it to God, and to another grown-up who can give you a kind word.
If worry has become more than you can carry, or anyone at home talks about wanting to die, call or text 988 in the US, any hour. In danger, call 911.
Try this week
At dinner, read Proverbs 12:25 out loud and let each person say one kind word to someone at the table.
With your kids
Read When you feel worried together: the same two verses for children 4 to 10, with Woo the rock hyrax. Then Day 3: Trust God with all your heart and Day 18: God is a strong tower.