" If Daddy got fired,” Claire began thoughtfully, “what would... what would change? I’m not sure …”
“We would have to be very careful with our money,” said Mom. “We couldn’t buy extras or go on trips. And your dad would stay at home and look for a new job. He wouldn’t be happy about that,” she added.
“Why not?” asked Margo.
“Because looking for a new job, especially when you’ve been fired, is not easy. Dad will have to hear people say no to him a lot. He might start applying for jobs that are below the level of the one he’s got now, and people still might say no. He’ll call companies and hear other people say that there aren’t any jobs at all. It would be like going over to your friends’ houses and hearing each one of them say they don’t want to play with you.”
“Ooh,” said Claire softly. That had hit home. "
― Ann M. Martin , Poor Mallory! (Baby-Sitters Club #39: Collector's Edition)