Manager criticized for choosing work over family after touching moment with 3-year-old son

Work-life balance seems elusive, whether you're a 9-to-5 employee or an entrepreneur. The hustle mindset has taken over many working men and women, but our little ones often remind us of what truly matters in life. Take this manager, who shared a post on LinkedIn about his toddler asking him to play now and work later. However, he refused.

Kaylin Philips, a digital product manager at Netstar, originally shared the post, which was later re-shared by u/TheBeanGrower on Reddit. The message began, "My son made me chuckle yesterday. I was working from home and rushed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee before my next meeting. My 3-year-old son was running around, playing with his dinosaur toys."

Philips shared that his toddler asked what he was doing, to which he replied, “Making coffee.” When Jonah asked, “Why?” Philips explained, “Because I’m still working and have to speak to my colleagues.” Jonah, however, tried to convince his father to play, saying, “You play with me now, and work later. That’s a good idea.” Despite the irresistible offer, Philips declined. He added, “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!”

Redditors shared their opinions, with some making rational arguments and others criticizing the father for not prioritizing his family. For instance, u/ohthisistoohard slammed the manager, saying, "Guy's 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." u/chasinjason13 advised, "Be present." 

Meanwhile, a bunch of other people like u/camillepissarro sarcastically commented, "He should fire that kid. Winners surround themselves with hustlers and grinders, not genetically similar time burglars." u/Consistent-Ad-3484 coined a term, "Grindset." u/ExBigBoss opined, "The unbelievable part of this story isn't that the kid said the things he did. It's that the 3-year-old left him alone lmao." u/Real_TRex_007 quipped, "That kid has a lot to learn about B2B sales. Next." 

On the other hand, some fathers cherish spending time with their children. Parenthood, for many, is a chance to revisit carefree days. For example, Andrew, @parental_with_me, shared a video highlighting the “unsung benefits” of having children. His video resonated with like-minded parents and quickly went viral, with others sharing their joyful experiences with their little ones.

Andrew captioned the video, ​"It's a daily dose of nostalgia shared with little humans you love." He listed several fun activities parents can enjoy with their kids, such as playing with Play-Doh, racing Hot Wheels, swinging on a swing set, building with Lego, reading "Harry Potter," watching Pokémon and more. "You get to watch this person that's never experienced this thing that you loved start to love it themselves. It's awesome,” he shared. The video struck a chord with many viewers. @hausofgreen, wrote, "I never knew how happy my little baby could make me. It's surreal." Meanwhile, @ElizabethRaisor, quipped, "And when they are older, they can mow the yard for you and run errands."