5 Tips for Working at Home with a Spouse Who's Been Laid Off

1. Establish a routine. You've got the office in the morning, and your spouse gets it in the afternoon for a job search, or you take Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and he or she gets Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whatever works for the two of you.
2. Be understanding. Tensions and insecurities may be very high during this period. Your spouse is feeling unwanted or hovering, so resist the urge to nag.
3. Be supportive. Offer helpful advice, knowing that sometimes that will mean building time into your own work schedule to spend time with your spouse either to scour the want ads or go for a walk.
4. Be upbeat. The power of optimism never can be over-rated.
5. Don't brag. You may be the only one in the house bringing in an income right now, but, as many will attest, anything can happen in this economy, so be humble and count your blessings.

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