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Kia Thompson was furloughed amid the government shutdown

Since then, her family has had to make difficult financial decisions

Now 36 days into the shutdown, Thompson is turning to TikTok to share her family’s story

Kia Thompson is opening up about the difficult decisions she and her family have faced since she was furloughed amid the government shutdown .

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, the veteran and mother of four shared how her kids have reacted to the sudden change.

“At first, they kept asking, ‘Mommy, did you lose your job? Are you fired? Why aren’t you going into work? When are you going to work?’ ” the San Antonio, Texas, mom tells PEOPLE. “I just kept telling them, ‘I’m not working right now.’ ”

Since then, Thompson, 31, says she’s explained to her childre

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