My daughter left her first job

My daughter told me she was leaving her job. It was her first job in three years. “Mom, I quit my job…” she said in a shaky voice. I was upset, but I decided to listen.

She worked nights and weekends. She said she was burning out. She came home crying every time she left work. I didn’t realize it, because she never said she was tired.

At first, she was full of enthusiasm. I remember her excitement during her new employee training, and how excited she was to take my family out to dinner with her first paycheck. But as time went on, her expression darkened.

The unfair treatment from her boss, the excessive workload, the endless overtime. She told me one story after another. She said that she needed to improve herself after work, so she went to an English language school. She worked on weekends, too.

“Good job,” I said, and she burst into tears. I thought about how much she must have thought about leaving her job, how scared she must have been, how anxious she must have been every time she saw the news about the job shortage. I patted her shoulder and hugged her.

I told her that she would find a new path. I looked at my daughter’s nervous but excited face and thought, “This will be a valuable experience for her someday.

What are your children going through right now?
Sometimes just a hug is all they need…
Let’s all support our children in their struggles.