My dad lost his job during the Great Recession in 2008. Here's what life was like and how my family made it through.

My dad at work.Matthew Wilson/Business Insider

• My dad started working in construction when he was 18 years old, and it's been his profession for the last 26 years.
• When the Great Recession hit in 2008, my dad was one of many workers who lost their jobs. I was only 13 years old.
• My family struggled and did whatever they had to in order to survive, such as selling or pawning our belongings.
• Here's how we made it work, from cutting out all expenses that we couldn't afford to learning how to ask for help.
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With the coronavirus lockdown still in full swing, it remains to be seen how the economy will be affected in the long run. There have been rumblings that we could see the worst economic recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

"Recession" has always been a scary word in my house. I was 13 in 2008 when the housing market crashed, and my dad lost his job.

These are the ways my family survived the last recession and the lessons I learned, the most important being: We will get through this.