I initially agreed to pay my mom to watch over my son full-time, but my husband disagreed, seeing it as excessive. However, the situation took an unexpected turn, escalating tension within the family.
Here is my story.
My mom will babysit our 2-year-old son full-time while we work. I promised to pay $30/day, but my husband said, “It’s her grandma duty! Tell her we’re not ATMs!” So, I sent my kid to daycare, which is more costly. Now he wants my mom back.
I was nervous when I told her, but she smiled and said, “OK! But here are my 3 new conditions:
- I should be compensated for the food I’ll be cooking for my grandkid.
- I request a written agreement outlining my responsibilities and the agreed-upon compensation, especially as I no longer trust your husband.
- Your husband needs to apologize for hurting my feelings.”
I told her she was pushing it too far. These conditions are cruel, and it isn’t right for her to take advantage of us just because we need her help. It doesn’t seem fair for her to ask for more money, especially since this is her grandson, after all.
She responded by saying that we needed to understand she wasn’t our “servant” at our beck and call, and that agreeing to her conditions would teach us to show more respect towards her.
What do you think? Is she right? Should we agree to her new conditions?