‘How do I cope with a job that takes so much time away from my child?’ — Man asks as he’s ‘scared of missing out on time’ with his daughter

SINGAPORE: A working father recently opened up on Reddit’s r/askSingapore forum about the emotional toll of being stuck in a demanding job that leaves him with little time for his three-year-old daughter.

In his post, he shared that he’s currently the sole breadwinner in the family, and while his job offers a stable income necessary to support his household, it also takes up the vast majority of his time and energy.

“I’m scared I’m missing out on these precious years while she’s growing up. Unfortunately, I can’t switch careers right now—this is the only path I have that provides a decent income to support my family. I just feel stuck and guilty,” he said.

Turning to the online community, the father asked if anyone else had found a way to cope with this kind of work-life imbalance.

“How do you handle a job that takes up so much time?” he wrote. “How do you balance this? It hurts me quite a bit knowing my kid does look for me regularly when I’m not around.”

“This is the typical Singaporean conundrum…”

In the comments, many Singaporeans expressed empathy for the father’s situation, with some sharing similar experiences of having to sacrifice time with their young children in order to provide financially for the family.

One shared, “I kind of feel you, man. I am worried that I’ll not be around much for my daughter, too. I work 9 hours a day, and will take 2 hours of transport per trip to/from my workplace. I feel what may help, and delegating things out may help.”

Another commented, “This is the typical Singaporean conundrum. Take less money and live a simpler lifestyle that gives you more time with family. You might not have as nice a car or eat at restaurants as often as your peers, but your heart will be fuller.”

A third said, “I think you are talking out of guilt. There is no perfect solution. We are all doing our best with limited resources. As long as the child is in a nurturing and safe environment, your child will be fine.”

A fourth added, “I switched jobs. Paid more with more time at home with kids. Took a while to find, but it’s there. So I suggest you keep trying. You never know what’s out there unless you are looking.”

In other news, a woman shared her heartbreak on social media, saying that even after seven years of emotionally and financially supporting her boyfriend, he ultimately became closer to his female best friend instead.

Posting on the NUSWhispers Facebook page on Tuesday (May 13), she revealed that she had gone to great lengths to stand by her boyfriend during their time together. She worked multiple jobs, took on debt, and even sacrificed her own well-being just to support him.

Read more: I gave 7 years of emotional and financial support to him, only to lose him to his female best friend

Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)