Why We Should Start Quiet Quitting As Parents

Unwittingly galvanizing a global conversation through a 17-second video, US-based Tiktoker and musician, Zaidleppelin posted about his newfound ethos towards work—and ensuing discussions have the potential to affect widespread change in how we approach employment.

After the video went viral, the concept of ‘quiet quitting’ came barrelling into the mainstream. Despite the name, it’s important to note that it doesn’t actually involve quitting your job. It essentially means doing what you get paid for and nothing more. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Quiet Quitting? 

The principles of quiet quitting go hand in hand with the notion of “acting your wage”—that is to say, doing an amount of work that fairly reflects what you get paid. It stops hustle culture in its tracks; and prompts individuals to reflect on whether the amount of hours they put in at work is proportionate to what they get paid or if, as is so common, they’re putting in too many hours of unpaid labour at work to the detriment of their wellbeing, family and personal life.

Quiet quitting is about rebalancing the scales, establishing boundaries and finding equilibrium between all facets of your life instead of pouring excessive amounts of energy into the one area that pertains to financial gain (thank you, capitalism.)

According to the Guardian, Australians averaged more than 6 hours of unpaid labour per week last year. That’s almost an entire day’s worth of unpaid work. Quiet quitting is simply saying—no more. Enough is enough. 

The Course of Overcorrection

Course of Overcorrection

While previous generations have glorified the hustle culture and “sleep when you’re dead” mentality, the pendulum is starting to swing in the opposite direction. Now, workers are starting to place family time, self-care and boundaries well above the notion of “getting ahead”. The concept of quiet quitting feeds into the notion of honouring your self-worth, holding your boundaries and carving out the time you need to bring your best self to both your family life and your work life.

Quiet Quitting and Parenthood

As parents, we know all too well the feeling of being well and truly burned out. For many, it’s a sensation that we simply learn to sit with while we spin the relentless plates of parenthood, work, time for ourselves and time for the things that make us us.

The juggle is all-too-real. So it's important to consider that quiet quitting doesn’t have to be about throwing the towel in at work and petulantly doing the bare minimum with a scowl on your face. It can be about honouring your self-worth and doing what’s best for you in the context of your whole self, not just your career. It can mean giving work your best, but not your all, and stepping in with boundaries when you feel like it’s taking over.

Flipping the Hustle Mentality

The pandemic has taught us many things; about working, family and ultimately, what’s important. Flipping the hustle mentality on its head and using it as a weapon for good is where parents can really gain something from the concept of quiet quitting. What if you hustled hard for harmonious home life? Strived for balance in your family life the same way you once chased a pay rise? What if we finally accept that we can’t do it all, and that actually—doing what we can is more than good enough.

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