No matter what their age, parents will always want to take care of their children. When faced with challenges, the family support system will be there to lend a helping hand. So, when this son asked for help, his dad came through to save him from a toxic work environment and growing mental health difficulties.
User Watkinobe shared on Reddit that his son had been in a tight spot and had reached out to him. He shared that when his son finished college, he found a job right away.
His initial excitement with his job and his future, however, soon drained away. It seemed like there was no joy in his life as he shared his work issues, including insane deadlines, a micromanaging boss, and a business owner who ruled with an iron fist.
stockphoto via pexels
As a dad, he encouraged him to show his unwavering support, but their son had lost his happy-go-lucky nature. Understandably, Watkinobe and his wife were distraught to see their son in this state.
His son was recently married and had a two-year-old daughter. So even though losing work at this stage was such a scary prospect, the poor man quit his $45,000 job and left a toxic work environment.
Watkinobe shared, “When he told us over the phone (he lives in a neighboring state) he walked off the job after a heated argument with his boss, he started sobbing and apologizing. I said, ‘Son, you have nothing to apologize for. No job is worth what I see this job is doing to you.”
Counting on his dad’s unwavering support, he then asked them for a favor, to help him and his family ride out this tough period. Watkinobe wrote, “He asked if they could stay with us for a couple of months until he figures things out. I told him not to worry. We’ve got a big house and everyone is welcome.”
His son apologized and promised to get a job as soon as possible. His parents, however, reassured him that he could stay indefinitely, seeing that the pressures of his job had taken a huge toll on his mental health.
stockphoto via pexels
They stressed they would let him and his family stay at their house, on the condition that he takes care of himself first. He already struggled with depression, so it was important for him to seek help from a therapist.
They told him that he could have all the time he needed to recover his mental wellness, and no promises were necessary. Their son was simply beyond grateful for his parents’ understanding and generosity.
No parent wants to see their child struggle because of their job. When life throws curveball after curveball at you sometimes you just need to take a break to reflect and reset. Fortunately, this man could rely on his mom and dad’s unwavering support in his time of need.
Watkinobe wrote, “This is a shout-out to all parents of children regardless of age: We can be a part of the antiwork/labor movement. We can be a “safe haven” from abusive work relationships.
We can TRUST our kids to make the right choices and encourage them to do whatever they think they need to have a fulfilling happy life.
stockphoto via pexels
The only thing any good parent ever wants from their children is that they have the best of all life has to offer. We should consider it our patriotic duty to help others walk away from abusive employers and demand better.”
The pressures from a global disruption, a toxic work or home environment, a lack of work-life balance – these and a lot of other factors contribute to extreme mental stress. Reddit users championed the parents for jumping in to help their son.
The story was also a kind reminder to parents that they need to help their children recover from challenges such as abusive workplaces. Their son was already a family man himself, so it was not an easy decision to leave a high paying job, particularly in such trying times.
But having supportive parents allowed him to make that difficult decision, and just in time. Watkinobe noted that after moving in, they saw that his son’s mental health was worse than he let on.
He added, “This was true for his wife as well. We often forget spouses can bear the burden of their partner’s workplace stress.”
Family is important, at any age, and children may need help, at any age as well. This is a cue perhaps for everyone that there is always a need for a safe space, and oftentimes our family is the best refuge when there is an urgent need for self-care and reflection.
