I (67F) worked 45 years. My daughter dumps her kids every Friday, saying “What else do you have to do?” When I wanted ONE weekend off, she screamed, “You’ll never see them again!”
So I made sure she kept that promise and booked a vacation. Her reaction was beyond anything I could have imagined—she actually called the police, claiming I had “abandoned” my grandchildren when she couldn’t find anyone else to watch them.
The officer who responded was confused when he realized I was simply on a planned vacation and had no legal obligation to provide childcare. My daughter had painted me as some kind of negligent guardian who had left children unattended, when the reality was that she was a grown woman who couldn’t handle her own parenting responsibilities for one weekend.
What hurt most was discovering that she and her husband were spending money on expensive dinners and weekend getaways, knowing they had free childcare whenever they wanted it.
When I returned from my trip, she left dozens of angry voicemails calling me “selfish” and claiming I had “ruined her life” by not being available. She said I was a “terrible grandmother” who clearly didn’t love my grandchildren because I chose a vacation over helping family.
The worst part was realizing that in her mind, I existed solely to serve her convenience. After raising her with love and sacrifice, working multiple jobs to give her opportunities, and supporting her through college, I had become nothing more than free babysitter in her eyes.
I love my grandchildren dearly, but I refuse to be treated like hired help by my own daughter. I need advice on how to maintain a relationship with my grandkids while setting boundaries with someone who clearly sees me as a resource rather than a person.
Source: brightside.me