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How some New York City families are coping with the recession
Connie Rivers is putting in more time at work these days.
Because of the recession, she went from working 35 hours a week at her job as a paralegal for a financial company to 40 hours a week. That means she is spending less time with her daughter and grandson. “Although we don’t see each other as much, we make things work because we really have to,” said Rivers, who is in her 50s.
The recession is hurting families in a variety of ways. Parents are working longer hours to support their families, forcing them to sacrifice time with their children. Some are spending less quality time with their children and foregoing family vacations.
After selling her condo, Rivers only thought she’d live with her daughter and grandson in Brooklyn for a short time. But the recession changed her plans. She is going to get laid off from work, but she doesn’t know when. Her daughter’s work hours were cut, so she’s earning less. So Rivers is going to stay with her daughter longer and the two are cutting back and saving money. “We are basically being asked to live the same with less pay,” said Rivers.
Teens are feeling the effects just as much as adults. Andrew Ki, 17, said he misses spending time with his father since his hours were increased at work. “In some cases we haven’t been able to do stuff together,” Ki said. For example, he added, they don’t have time to watch and discuss sports like they used to.
Ki’s father has been a shipping manager at Redcats USA, a clothing company, for five years. He had to increase his hours because his wife, a former shipping manager at Ann Taylor Loft, recently lost her job.
Skeff Anselm and Robin Mayers-Anselm, who have been married for more than two years, haven’t been spending a lot of time together, either. Skeff has had to increase his hours and now works more than 50 hours a week as a Commercial Driver’s License driver in order to provide for his family. His wife, a guidance and mental health counselor at York College in Queens, works about thirty-five hours a week. She also works overtime, but is not paid extra. “I can’t wait for things to stabilize,” she said.
The couple lives with Skeff’s son in a Brooklyn co-op. Before the recession, he said, the family was looking for a new house. But the recession has delayed the process. The Anselms also had hoped to go on their first vacation together this summer, but with Skeff’s new hours, their schedules do not match. Instead, Robin is looking forward to attending a work conference in Montreal, Canada in July that her employer will help pay for. She plans on using nights at the conference for relaxation. Her husband, meanwhile, plans to take his three children to visit his mother in Florida for two weeks.
Family members are helping each other stay positive despite their financial woes. Connie Rivers, for her part, is providing moral support to her daughter, who is worried about losing her job. “This is the first time she has really struggled and had to do without and watch her spending,” Rivers said. “I’ve explained to her that I’ve lived through this before and things will definitely get better.”
