I quit my job at Microsoft to be a more present mother. I’m not worried about finding a new job — I have a plan.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kruthika Jayatheertha, a millennial based in Bangalore, India. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In October 2024, my husband and I welcomed our first child into the world. I took a six-month maternity leave, which was provided through my senior user experience researcher job at Microsoft. During that time, I decided to turn it into a more extended career break. I resigned from my position, and my employment formally ended a few months later.

I’ve long known that whenever I had a child, I’d want to take this kind of break — a decision shaped by my studies of psychology, a field in which I earned a Ph.D. I believe the first three years of a child’s life are crucial for their development — and that having a present mother with a strong emotional connection can significantly shape a child’s mental health for life.

Taking a career break is a deeply personal decision, but it was clear to me that…