Why Are Mommy and Daddy Sad‪?‬

The loss of a job can have a huge impact on the lives of a family. In this story, a five-year-old girl cannot understand why her parents are presently not the fun-loving parents they once were. Unaware of her father’s recent loss of employment and due to the egocentric nature of a child her age, she wrongfully concludes that she must be the cause of her parents’ unhappiness. In a poignant moment, her mother lovingly tries to explain the concept of an economic recession using concrete examples that will hold meaning for her daughter. Like any child of her age, she is unable to grasp the depth of meaning behind her mother’s words. All she gleans from their conversation is what matters most to her five-year-old self: she’s not at fault, she is loved, and her family continues to be the happy and joyful family it always was.