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6 Friday, October 9, 2020 brooklintowncrier.com Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown When a Parent Loses a Job With COVID 19 dragging on into its 8th month, more people are finding the term "economic downturn" being brought home in a very personal way. What started out as mostly frontline workers being laid off as we stayed home has now extended outwards. Last week, I joined those ranks as my company announced layoffs that eliminated many roles. On the day I was laid off, I was in shock. After being told via an online meeting, I sat alone at the kitchen table, the same table which has been my office for the last few months. It took a while to sink in. I'd been with the company 15 years. What do I do now? Job loss creates anxiety and economic hardship for any family. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell my daughter, but I knew that being proactive and telling her what's happened was probably the best thing to do. She's going to see that Mommy's not getting up and working. Kids are too smart to say nothing's wrong. They'll come to their own conclusions. If you lie or hide the truth then they won't trust you at exactly the time they need to. Lunch chat I was visibly upset so I told my daughter when she came home for lunch what had happened. The short lunch period gave me a small window to share the news, but not long enough for me to get upset while we talked. I stuck to the facts. "The company I work for is changing how it does business," I said, "because the way customers use the products it provides has changed. So lots of people who work there aren't needed and their jobs are going away. My job is one of them." I shared a few more details and then let her know that everything was going to be okay and we'd talk about it more after school. By the time school was over, I'd had time to absorb the reality. The first thing I did was tell her how I felt about it: upset and angry. However I also knew this could be a great opportunity to do something new. I further explained that things like this happen. Companies make tough decisions. People change jobs. The company provided me with money so we would be fine until I found new work. She needed to know that we'd be okay and she'd be safe. About resiliency While losing a job is never a good thing, this is a chance for children to learn what resiliency looks like. I'm letting her know I have a plan. I'll take a little time off and then will start looking for a new opportunity. She sees that Dad is still working and that we are a team. How a family sticks together in hard times is important. We'd had plans to go to the mall. We could still go but while I'm looking for work, we won't be buying as much right now. She picked out an item she wanted and offered to pay half. She understood. I hugged her and tucked her money back into her purse. I could still treat her today. While keeping adult matters like lawyers and financials from her, my focus now is ensuring her everyday life isn't impacted. I reassured her that her activities will still mostly take place (COVID notwithstanding), though special treats might be limited. I know I need to take care of myself first and I'm exploring ideas that have been rattling around in my head and heart for a while. It's time to launch the next phase of my career. And honestly…I'm quite excited! Town Launches Digital Engagement Platform The Town of Whitby has launched its new digital engagement platform: connectwhitby.ca. Its purpose is to make it easy for Whitby residents to connect with the Town and share feedback on the municipal budget decisions, projects and initiatives that matter to them. Residents are encouraged to visit and register at connectwhitby.ca to view and participate in the Town's current engagement opportunities. Feedback collected from Connect Whitby will be used by Town staff and Council to help make informed, evidence-based decisions. "Connect Whitby is yet another way we are working to support an open and connected community," said Mayor Don Mitchell. "Especially during this unprecedented time, it's more important than ever that we find new ways to connect virtually with our residents and I encourage everyone to get involved." Building Whitby's Budget Each year, the Town undergoes an extensive budget planning process to prepare the annual municipal budget. New this year, residents are invited to learn more about the Town's budget planning process and share their budget priorities at connectwhitby. ca/2021budget. Through the site, residents can access the Town's new Citizen Budget tool, a virtual budget simulator that shows the financial impacts of participants' choices in real time. The tool will be available until Friday, October 30. "The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial impacts and pressures on individuals, businesses, and municipalities, including the Town of Whitby," said Chief Administrative Officer Matt Gaskell. "That's why it's so important that we hear from our residents as part of our budget engagement process - to listen and learn more about the programs and services that matter most to them." The launch of connectwhitby. ca/2021budget and the Citizen Budget tool are part of the first phase of the Town's budget engagement process. Subscribe at connectwhitby. ca/2021budget to stay informed on upcoming budget engagement opportunities. 2020 Community Survey Now Open Whitby residents and business owners are invited to participate in the Town's biennial Community Survey, an opportunity for residents to share feedback on the Town's current programs and services, and priorities for the future. The survey is available online at connectwhitby.ca/communitysurvey until Sunday, October 25. Public-opinion firm Ipsos will also conduct 400 randomized and confidential telephone surveys of residents. As part of the survey, respondents will be asked to share their opinions on the Town's customer service, use of tax dollars, programs, priorities, communications and services. Data collected will help inform the development of the Town's annual budgets, strategic plan priorities, and program and service delivery. Brooklin Parents: School Is Going Just Fine The BTC reached out to the community last week to solicit views on how the school year has started. Here are the views of parents who replied. Jen: Normal. Fun. Safe. Those are the words my children have used to describe their experience with in-school learning this year! I have 2 immuno-compromised children, and with the guidance of their specialists at Sick Kids, I opted to send them to school this September. Their spacious classrooms have 16 and 21 children, and both classes spend about 2 hours/day outdoors. They've been happy to go to school every day and are excited to tell me about all the new things they're learning. I hope Durham region can keep the covid numbers low so children can stay in school! Danielle Friel: I must say I am very impressed with the way our school has handled everything since welcoming the kids. Expectations and processes were communicated in advance, which made me feel really good that they are taking this quite seriously, even with changes to staffing days before school starts. To hear from my son he wears his mask all day and it's not required (grade 2) means all kids are most likely doing the same and are being led by example. Follow up emails to adjustments needed to maintain safe protocols are also communicated in a timely manner which gives me the peace of mind as a parent that my children are in good hands. I am very proud of all the teachers and staff for their continued effort as we navigate this uncertain storm. Hats off to all! Mandi Francis: Both of my kids returned to in- person school this September - one is in high school and the other is in elementary school, here in Brooklin. They were both a little anxious to return to school but they've adjusted quickly. My high schooler attends school a few mornings a week and does virtual learning at home, the rest of the time. He's enjoying it, although he's still getting accustomed to this 'quadmester' thing. As for my daughter, her teacher has really helped her make a smooth transition into grade 7. Although this is a very uncertain time, the past month has been a positive time for us.