I never thought I was going to be that guy, the laid-off dad. I’ve worked hard my entire career and taken pride in my professional accomplishments, so it was a complete shock to hear that I was being laid off.

As a dad, I went through a range of emotions all related to my family. How would they react? How would I provide for them? As a father, there’s a sense that you are the provider in the home even when your wife has a full time career as well.

I had to take a moment to process what had happened, and I want to share with you the first steps I took in the hope that these basic ideas may be able to guide you through a lay off.

• Breathe. It sounds simple, but at the moment you hear the news, you’ve got emotions ranging from shock to fear to resent racing through you. Remember to take a moment to compose yourself. Don’t dwell on questions like “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why am I getting laid off? Don’t these people realize how hard I’ve worked for them?” It’s easy to want to protest and fight back against your boss, but that is not going to change the lay off. It will, however, affect whether you can use the job as a reference and your negotiation power on a severance package. You’ve been laid off. That’s a fact. But how you deal with it is the key.
• Once you have calmed down, it’s time to tell your family. Your kids need to know that dad is okay, and that everything will be fine. Making sure your kids understand that being laid off happens often and it isn’t the end of the world is important to their own growth into maturity. As a dad, this can be a great opportunity to bond with your kids and let them tell you how they feel about it.
• It’s important to assess your financial situation. Let’s face it, being laid off was probably not what you expected, and you still have to figure out a strategy for paying the bills. Some people file for unemployment when laid off, and I would recommend doing that shortly after the lay off. The longer you wait, the harder it is to want to do the filing. And you will dredge up all the negative feelings about being laid off.
• The next thing to do, and what I believe was the most valuable for me, is to take an honest self-assessment. What are your skills? What do you enjoy doing? A lay off can provide you an unexpected positive opportunity to really evaluate what you want to do with your life. As a dad, you probably have told your kids they can be whatever they dream of being. Now, it’s time for you to fulfill your dreams. Ask yourself what you really love to do, and find a way to bring that dream to life.

Being the laid-off dad can be initially very scary. You are filled with questions and concerns about financial survival. However, you can easily turn it into a positive growing experience, for both you and your kids, if you take the steps I’ve described above and make them work for you.

Reference: http://BusinessTM.com/about/erik-cornella/