Bengaluru man weighs quitting job to be more present for one-year-old son: ‘Look on his face stays with me’

In a Reddit post, the man described working an 11-to-11 schedule that he says has left him physically and emotionally drained.

A Bengaluru man has shared an emotional account of his struggles with a demanding corporate routine, saying he is considering stepping away from his job to spend more time with his one-year-old son.

The techie expressed growing concern about the impact of his work schedule on his family life. (Representational image/Pexels)

In a Reddit post, he described working an 11-to-11 schedule that he says has left him physically and emotionally drained. While the long hours are difficult, he wrote that the bigger challenge is the time he is losing with his family at home.

According to the post, his young son often crawls towards him with excitement, hoping to be picked up or played with.

However, due to ongoing work commitments and frequent “urgent” calls, he is often unable to respond. He added that the expressions on his child’s face during such moments have stayed with him and deeply affected him.

"The look on his face stays with me… and it breaks my heart every single time,” he wrote.

Balancing job and fatherhood:

The man wrote that he does not want to continue missing important early milestones in his son’s life, noting that these moments cannot be brought back once they are gone.

He expressed growing concern about the impact of his work schedule on his family life and personal well-being.

In the post, he also mentioned that he has been thinking seriously about making a change in his career path. He shared that he has developed an idea for a cricket-based card game, which he finds personally exciting and meaningful.

According to him, the idea is still in the early stages, but it has given him a sense of hope and direction.

"I’m just trying to figure out… is it worth taking that leap? To leave behind stability for something uncertain, but meaningful—not just for me, but for the life I want with my son,” the man added.

Take a look here at the post:

Trying to quit corporate slavery for my son
by u/Mystery-Ripper in Bengaluru

Here's how people reacted to the post:

Reddit users reacted to the post with a mix of empathy and encouragement, with many relating to the emotional struggle of balancing long work hours and family life.

One of the users commented, "Bro, I am stuck just like you. I am the only bread earner. I'm ready to quit and pick up trading.”

A second user commented, "Startup will take more of your time than a stable job.”

A third user commented, "Kids lose their babyish charm and cuteness once they enter school and begin to grow... Once the kid reaches adulthood, he will not appreciate that his father had sacrificed his career for him.”

"Given the current job market, I'd say don't quit if you want to be safe, try to manage timings here and there, but don't make a life-changing decision,” another user commented.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)