A working father shared a bizarre message regarding work-life balance after his toddler asked him to play with him during one of his breaks.
Readers thought the father’s ego got in the way of what should have been a heartwarming post about prioritizing family over work. Now, critics are stressing the importance of showing up for your kids and putting work on pause, especially around the holidays.
Kaylin Phillipsthe digital product manager at Netstar, shared a LinkedIn post that was reposted on the subreddit r/LinkedinLunatics.
What began as a heartwarming message about his son asking him to play quickly turned into a disturbing promotion of putting work before family.
“My son made me chuckle yesterday,” Phillips wrote. “I was working from home yesterday and rushed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee before my next meeting. My 3-year-old son was running around and playing with his dinosaur toys.”
Maria Sbytova | Shutterstock
While Phillips was making himself a cup of coffee, his son, named Jonah, asked him what he was doing. When the dad told him that he was grabbing a coffee before his next meeting, Jonah asked why. Phillips told him that he still had to speak with his colleagues and was not off the clock.
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If you’re thinking this is going to turn into a story about how this dad learned an important lesson after disappointing his son and putting work before family, think again.
“You play with me now and work later. That’s a good idea!” the toddler purportedly exclaimed.
However, his dad was not on board with the idea. While Phillips admitted that little Jonah’s idea was not bad, it was just not one he was willing to take him up on.
“I am eagerly looking forward to the break, to spend quality time with my family. But first… Let’s close out the work year strong!!” he wrote.
In other words, you’re on your own until next year, son! Daddy lives and breathes work!
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“(This) guys ego got in the way of an otherwise quality post. The kind of thing that gets a big heart from the ladies in accounts. This is why you are rushing around to finish the year strong,” one Redditor wrote.
“Sorry I missed the part where he was having a meeting, did he have a meeting to get to?” another shared.
“He should fire that kid. Winners surround themselves with hustlers and grinders, not genetically similar time burglars,” another user sarcastically commented.
A survey by CareerBuilder found that 38% of working parents said they’ve “missed a significant event in their child’s life due to work in the last year.”
21% of working parents said that they’ve missed a minimum of three for the same reason. Still, 78% of respondents agree that you can be both a parent and a good employee.
However, would their children say the same thing?
StoryTime Studio | Shutterstock
While many parents have to work to support their families, it is okay to call a time out every once in a while to attend your child’s school concert, take them to their doctor’s appointments, and even just get on the floor and play with them.
You’ll never get that time back, and before you know it, you’ll be retired with a grown-up child you hardly even know.
Your colleagues may have children themselves and will likely be more than understanding that you were a couple of minutes late to the meeting because your toddler asked you to play with dinosaurs.
But bragging about putting work before spending quality time with your child? That’s just not the flex this manager thinks it is.
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Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
