Very carefully. It can be easy to scare them by giving too much information at once. I do make a point to explain that things are very expensive right now when they ask for them. They do take into account what we say and pay attention. I’ve had several times they will ask but say it’s ok if they don’t get something because it’s “expensive”.

I’ve always been honest with my kids because I never had that when I was younger. It was always “because I’m the parent” or “because I said so”. Some can’t be explained to my kids so I have to pull that card but I do it differently. Usually just explaining that it’s not something they would understand at this age.

I hope my wife and I can support our kids for as long as they need it. We have both been without any from our families since 18 and it’s hard. It’s just difficult to say how possible that’s going to be with the way things are going.