7-Year-Old’s Heartbreaking Drawing Illustrates the Struggle WFH Parents Face

The drawing this mom received from her son is one that WFH parents will instantly—and sadly—recognize

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more parents than ever are working from home. While that can provide more flexibility to take care of house chores and spend time with kids, it can also create new challenges, as WFH parents know all too well. Priya Amin was recently working from home when she received a drawing from her 7-year-old son, and what it revealed was crushing—but not surprising.

Amin, who posted the drawing to a blog post on LinkedIn, said it showed a parent at work on a computer with a child looking on from behind them. The child says, “Mommy are you done?” and the parent replies, “No.”

“I actually looked at it, and it broke my heart,” Amin told Good Morning America. “Well, it sort of warmed and broke my heart at the same time.”

Amin is the founder and CEO of Flexable, a company that creates “innovative child care solutions, such as virtual child care, and partner with organizations around the country to provide our child care services as a benefit for working parents.” While the company’s mission is one that will resonate with WFH parents everywhere, Amin is obviously busy—and that creates challenges.

“All I wanted to do was close up my laptop and spend time with my kids, but I knew that if I didn’t get a few important things done, I wouldn’t be able to get my mind off of them,” she said. “I think so many parents feel that way, especially during the pandemic, where work and life have collided with one another and it’s really hard to step away from work. My son’s drawing was a stark reminder to me about just how hard that is.”

But the drawing helped Amin strike a new balance, she said. That was, in part, because she realized she wasn’t setting a good example for her employees, many of whom also have children.

“Getting this picture from my son, though, reminded me that I need to do a better job of modeling that behavior to my team. Now I work when my kids are in school, but log off when they get home,” she said. “It does feel really good to know that your kids miss you and want to spend time with you.”