Success! Set a boundary at work | DadHQ

Success! Set a boundary at work

Dec 31 min read

Finally told my boss I can't do calls after 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays because that's when I'm solo with the kids. Honestly expected pushback but he just said okay. It's such a small thing but I've been so stressed trying to juggle everything and this one boundary is making a huge difference. Still working 40+ hours but having those two evenings back where I'm not half-present is huge for my mental state. Anyone else have a boundary win they want to celebrate?

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Comments(9)

JJerome S.RegularDec 4

That's huge though. Not small at all. So many dads just let work bleed into family time because they think they don't have leverage. You set a boundary and it stuck. That's the model.

DDanny R.RegularDec 4

this is honestly the hardest part of being a working dad—just asking for the thing without feeling guilty about it. props for actually following through

CClint R.RegularDec 5

The fact that you expected pushback says everything about how we've been conditioned. You literally asked for something reasonable and got it. That's not small—that's you realizing you have more power than you thought.

CCole B.RegularDec 5

lol your boss saying "okay" must've felt surreal. Were you bracing for the "well actually we might need you" response?

AAndy T.RegularDec 4

Did this after reading your post. Told my manager I can't take Zoom calls during pickup hours. Honestly thinking he'll circle back but so far nothing. Thanks for showing it's possible.

RRay C.RegularDec 6

That's huge though. The fact that your boss didn't push back means you set it up right—you framed it as a constraint, not a request. Most people would've apologized first lol

AAaron W.RegularDec 6

Did you have to frame it a certain way or did you just come out and say it? I've been dreading asking for something similar and curious how you approached it

JJoe C.RegularDec 5

Wait, I'm curious if your boss is just smart enough to know that someone with a boundary is more reliable than someone who burns out. That's probably why there was no pushback

RReggie T.New DadDec 6

lol same energy as "it's such a small thing" but then it actually changes everything about your mental state. These small boundaries compound