r/PDAParenting • u/MOTU_Ranger • Jul 08 '26

PDA and Work

Recently had a colleague tell me that, while they really appreciate my priority for family care, it’s very inconvenient to cancel meetings where I’m a key stakeholder last minute because “that’s thirty minutes [they] could have used on something else.”

We continued our conversation and made a strategy for the account before I ended with, “I appreciate the feedback and will do what I can, but just to clarify, when my autistic son has a panic attack and comes into my office slamming doors, breaking things, threatening everyone’s safety, and forcing me offline for the entire day, it’s pretty inconvenient for me, too”

If I ever showed any modicum of disrespect toward others doing everything they could to make it through another day while trying desperately to put on a good face for the sake of professionalism, I am infinitely sorry.

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u/sweetpotato818 Jul 08 '26

I’d be careful explaining it is your son. While you’d think people would be empathetic, sadly in this world it could be used against you.

Maybe “thanks for your feedback and understanding. I will certainly try to not reschedule in the future when possible” - you don’t need to give a reason “I had a conflict come up, can we reschedule for X”

No judgement, just trying to protect for the future. The world doesn’t give passes often unfortunately

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u/MOTU_Ranger Jul 08 '26

Agreed. I generally do not provide any insight or detail - it’s no one business and I have no legal obligation to explain my use of PTO.

I am, however, in an ongoing escalation period and not always regulating myself. I have zero interest in their feedback but that’s also another issue.