Father quits high-paying job to spend time with his newborn daughter
Father’s love is so underrated. Unlike a mother, a father’s sacrifices, affection and care often goes unnoticed. In light of it, the story of new father who left his job in order to spend more time with his daughter has captured a lot of attention on the Internet.
Ankit Joshi, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur graduate, decided to quit his high-paying job and spend more time with his daughter. ‘Humans of Bombay’ shared a few pictures of the new parent on its official Instagram page, and it has left the Internet divided.
Reportedly, ahead of his daughter’s birth, Ankit quit his high-paying job a few days ago. Everyone warned him about how difficult it would be, but he had his wife Akanksha’s support.
Ankit said, “A few days before my daughter was born, I quit my high-paying job. I know it was a bizarre decision. People said, ‘You know how difficult it’s gonna be now?’ But my wife Akanksha stood with me & that was all that mattered.” The couple named their daughter Spiti, after the valley in Himachal Pradesh.
“During our trip to the Spiti Valley in Himachal, Akanksha & I had promised ourselves to name our future daughter ‘Spiti.’ Our dream came true last month when we gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Our hearts were full & our lives were complete,” the new father added.
Apparently, Ankit had just started a new job as a Senior Vice President and had to travell a lot due to that. He was allowed only one-week paternity leave by the company, but he was not happy with it and wanted to spend more time with his daughter. Although he enjoyed visiting new places, his priority changed with the arrival of his little munchkin. He knew that his company wouldn’t be able to extend his leave, which is why he put down his papers.
“But even before my daughter arrived in the world, I knew I wanted to spend all my time with her, more than my week-long paternity leave. I knew it was going to be difficult. I’d just started off a new job a few months ago as the Senior Vice President. My work took me to different cities & as much as I enjoyed it, I wanted a longer break after Spiti’s birth. I knew the company couldn’t extend my leave. And so, I put in my papers–I called it a promotion to fatherhood & loved it!” Ankit said.
He further said, “Life has been all about her since then. Be it swinging her in my arms till she sleeps to waking up in the night to sing her lullaby, I’m cherishing these moments. Sometimes, in the middle of a lullaby, I see her looking at me so intently, it just warms my heart. And just like that, a month has gone by. It’s been a sleepless, exciting, exhausting, & yet a joyful month! I’ll apply for jobs a few months later but till then, I’m going to make the most of this time & be there for my daughter.”
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Talking about his wife Akanksha and his take on paternity leave Ankit said, “As for Akanksha, she’s on her maternity leave for 6 months. Given her passion, she was also promoted to a Manager a few days after Spiti was born. Seeing her excel in both, her career & motherhood is so fulfilling! But at the same time what disheartens me is to see how most companies give a significant, next-to-nothing paternity leave. It isn’t just about how less the father connects with the child but more about reducing the responsibility of a father in the role of upbringing. It makes us more of a bread-winner than a parent. The step I’ve taken isn’t easy- not many men can take it. But I hope in the coming years things change because the life that I’ve lived in the last 1 month has been more fulfilling than all my years of hustle.”