#105 Driving Their Kids and Pets Crazy

It could be said that some of the silent victims of this recession have been the kids and pets of out-of-work people. Anyone unemployed person who is now dealing with feelings of alienation from their loved ones can probably attest to how much better things were before they lost their job. The problem, of course, is that with no one else to talk to, the kids and pets get the brunt of 100% of the unemployed’s focus and extra energy.

There was a time when the unemployed remembered coming home to find their kids running to them with outstretched arms, or their dog jumping in excitement every time they opened the front door (even if they just came through that door five minutes prior but had to run to the corner store). That’s because when the unemployed used to be at work all day, their kids and pets actually missed them, and wanted nothing more than some of their undivided attention. If only they could take back all those moments when they were too busy replying to emails on their Blackberrys to pay attention as their kids rattled off the asinine things they did during the day.

Now the kids who are stuck with their unemployed parent(s) all day because the nanny had to be let go are wishing to go back to the days of being raised by hired help. With their overbearing parent(s) constantly waking them up from their naps, or disturbing their TV time, to talk about really uninteresting things (whatever is on daytime television) they can’t understand, the kids just want to be left alone while ruing, “Oh how the tables have turned.” Pets are no better off. Before, they were starved for a head pat, a belly scratch or a nice walk. But  now that the unemployed have taken to entertaining themselves by dressing them up before heading outside, the pets want nothing more than to tuck in their tails and hole up in their crates. It takes a lot to drive away the unconditional love of innocent creatures like kids and animals. So if the unemployed know what’s good for them, they better lay off after getting laid off, and find another outlet to unleash their pent up energy.

Tags: annoying kids and pets, desperate and unemployed, nadya suleman, unemployed and unsocialized