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."
Furry friends are importantRepresentative image via Canva
Couple has annoying conversation
The one phrase people most want to ban forever—and 20 more that drive us all nuts
If you’ve ever cringed at hearing “It is what it is” or rolled your eyes at someone saying “No offense…” before delivering something totally offensive, you’re definitely not alone. Some expressions are so irritating, so overused, or so grammatically cursed that hearing them once more might just push us over the edge.
We asked our Facebook audience, “ If you could ban one annoying phrase from existence forever, what would it be?” and holy moly, did the floodgates open. Typically, a given question might rack up around 5,000 comments—but this one? Over 14,000. People shared responses that were funny, petty, brutally honest, and occasionally downright poignant. From phrases that try (and fail) to sound wise, to those so overused they've lost all meaning entirely—here are the top contenders folks are completely done with.
The one phrase nearly everyone wants to vanish
By far the most repeated offender was:
Over and over, users cited this as the ultimate non-response. It’s dismissive, it ends conversations, and it offers exactly zero comfort or help.
Another big category? Expressions meant to comfort that end up being painful or insulting. These include:
Many commenters explained that these phrases, while often well-intentioned, feel dismissive in times of grief or hardship.
Grammar gripes and word crimes
Grammar lovers had a lot of feelings. Some of the most-cited “please stop saying this” phrases included:
And let’s not forget the collective rage over “pacifically” when people mean “specifically.”
Words that reveal more than they intend
Several users took issue with phrases that feel passive-aggressive or intellectually lazy, such as:
As user Jacqueline C. put it, “'To be honest...' What does that mean? That you're not honest any other time?”
Phrases tied to racism, sexism, or toxic positivity
A significant number of respondents took aim at harmful or politically charged phrases. Among them:
These comments weren’t just about annoyance—they were about the emotional weight and social impact of language.
James G. didn’t mince words when he wrote: “‘Go back to your country, then’ 🤬. The epitome of racist. I love my country, plus my ancestors did not ASK to be brought here the way they were.”
Corporate speak and empty buzzwords
You knew these were coming.
These phrases sparked a different kind of rage—one reserved for staff meetings and marketing emails.
Iris H. summed it up: “Most corporate speak. Downsizing. Low hanging fruit. Pivot. etc…..” Just say what you mean, please.
Why this resonated so deeply
There’s something unifying about shared irritation. These phrases might seem harmless or routine, but for many people, they’re like verbal paper cuts—tiny annoyances that, over time, sting a lot more than they should.
Whether it’s poor grammar, dismissive condolences, or flat-out hate speech in disguise, we’re collectively craving language that’s thoughtful, clear, and kind.
So the next time you find yourself reaching for one of these expressions, take a beat. Maybe there’s a better way to say what you mean. Or maybe… just don’t say anything at all.
And if you’ve got your own phrase that should be banished from existence? Don’t worry—there’s still time to add to the list.
Got another phrase that needs to go? Drop it in the comments on our original Facebook post.
Bonus: The top five most hated phrases from our poll
Let’s make 2025 the year we finally stop saying all of them.