Priya Amin wasn’t expecting an emotional wake-up call when her 7-year-old son handed her a drawing. But as she took a closer look, she realized it wasn’t just an innocent sketch—it was a mirror of their reality.
The picture showed a child standing behind a working parent, asking for attention. The parent, glued to a laptop, responded without turning around. At that moment, Amin felt a mix of emotions—heartbreak, guilt, and a deep realization about the way work had taken over her life.
A moment of truth for a working mom
As Amin stared at the drawing, she realized it perfectly captured their interaction from just minutes earlier.
"I actually looked at it, and it broke my heart," she told Good Morning America. "Well, it sort of warmed and broke my heart at the same time."
She shared the drawing with her colleagues, who encouraged her to write about the experience.
A story that resonated with parents everywhere
Amin later posted about the drawing on LinkedIn, expecting only a small response—but it quickly went viral.
"I chose to share the blog originally via a LinkedIn post because I knew this was something universally felt by parents everywhere right now, and we’re all feeling like we’re shouldering this alone," she told Scary Mommy.
The image struck a deep chord with parents juggling work and family—especially during the pandemic, when the lines between home and work blurred more than ever.
Why the drawing hit so hard
For Amin, the moment was a wake-up call.
"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 admitted.
Like so many parents, she felt pulled in two directions—wanting to be present for her kids while also needing to keep up with work responsibilities.
The struggle of balancing work and parenting
Amin is the founder and CEO of Flexable, a company that creates child care solutions for working parents. Even with a flexible job, she still struggled to find balance—especially when the pandemic changed how families functioned.
"It was a nightmare and not sustainable at all," she said, recalling how she used to wake up at 4 AM to work, then homeschool her kids, then work again at night.
The lesson she took away
After her son’s drawing, Amin reassessed her work habits.
"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 also offered advice to other parents trying to manage work and family life.
Work-life balance: A myth?
According to Amin, work-life balance isn’t real—at least not in the way many imagine.
"It does feel really good to know that your kids miss you and want to spend time with you," she said.
Instead, she sees it as a constant juggling act.
"It's more of a crazy juggling act, where all the balls are on fire."
