7-Year-Old Boy's Drawing For His Mother Sums Up The 'Guilt Of Parenting & Working From Home'
It is hard to hear your children laughing and playing just feet away while you're working to provide for them.
fizkes / Tomsickova Tatyana / Shutterstock A mother was left feeling heartbroken and guilty after her young son presented her with a handmade drawing that depicted the two of them. After she shared the drawing on social media, other parents could not help but relate, especially those who work from home.
The drawing portrayed the mother’s son asking her if she was done with work as she sat in front of the computer.
The mother posted the handmade drawing from her seven-year-old son on her Twitter account. On the left side of the drawing, a stick figure representing the boy stands behind a stick figure that represents his mother sitting in a chair in front of her desk and computer.
A speech bubble drawn over the woman’s son reads, “Mommy are you done?” on the inside. A speech bubble drawn over the mother reads, “No,” as she looks at her computer screen.
The drawing depicts what appears to be the mother and son’s daily interactions, as she works fully remotely from home.
Some parents who work from home related to the mother's guilt and struggles.
The drawing shattered the mother’s heart. “If this doesn’t sum up the guilt of parenting while working from home I don’t know what does,” she wrote in her post, which struck a chord with other parents who also work from home.
“This is my life. The pain, I’m so sorry mama,” one Twitter user commented. “I understand because my son says this too…he now sits next to me every day when he gets home from school,” another user shared. “[He] does his homework next to me and has dinner.”
“When I was working as an IT Recruiter I worked at the job sometimes until 8-9 pm on Saturdays. One Saturday my then seven-year-old daughter asked me to play with her. I kept telling her ‘In a minute.’ Finally, she came to my doorway screaming "I HATE YOU!’” another heartbroken parent revealed.
Other parents believed that it was a privilege that the mother was able to work from home and be physically present for her children.
“So, your kids would prefer you to be at the office while they’re in daycare? I don't think so,” one user commented. “I'll trade you your work-from-home job for my not work-from-home job,” another user wrote.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, remote work has gained popularity, with many employees now having the option to work from their homes instead of commuting to the office.
Many people, especially parents, may view remote work as an opportunity to spend more time with their children since they will be home most of the day. However, like any job, there are pros and cons to consider, and many parents may find balancing parental duties and their occupations to be more challenging than they anticipated.
While working from home can definitely increase flexibility with the children's schedules, save costs on childcare, and allow parents to be physically around for their children at home, there is still a job that has to be done.
While children may be just next door playing in another room, their parents will be forced to hear their laughter as they sit at their desks on their computers. It is possible to feel isolated from your children despite them being only a few feet away.
It is also difficult for children to grasp the concept that although their parents are at home, they cannot exactly close their laptops and tend to their needs at a moment’s notice. Just because someone is not in a typical office setting does not mean that they are not working hard.
Parental guilt is a feeling that many parents can experience, whether they are working from home or not.
And while some may have the luxury of not having to place their children in daycare while they work in an office next to their bedrooms, this does not invalidate their guilt and sadness.
Working from home can be both remarkable and difficult, but if there is one silver lining to it, it’s that children can see firsthand how hard their parents are working to provide for them.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.