My best childhood days always return me to the same place – my grandparents’ house. I can still remember the coziness of their old armchair next to the fireplace. The sound of fire cracking and the smell of freshly baked cookies will forever be engraved in my mind.
I spent quite a lot of time there and figured out that my grandparents would be rich today if they got paid every time they looked after me! I am sure they did it out of love, but still…
Did you know that around 60% of grandparents in the U.S. provide regular childcare for their grandchildren? While this may not be shocking, the fact that less than 8% of them are paid for it surely is!
Everyone knows they love their babies the most in the whole world. However, imagine raising your kids, working hard your entire life, and when you finally retire, someone expects you to babysit for free.
I would be one pissed-off grandma no matter how much I love those kids, that’s for sure! One woman started a whole discussion on the internet…
Am I reasonable for expecting my mom to babysit for free?
Imagine a day when Reddit users finally agree on some topic. It might seem like another episode of Mission Impossible, but we are living in that moment right now. I know, I also couldn’t believe it! Wonder what’s the topic?
A woman turned to Reddit to get an opinion on a family drama. Apparently, her mother refused to take care of her newborn. Grandmother said she was too old for that and had already done her part by raising her children (preach). This didn’t sit right with a woman so she wrote:
“She also added that if I really wanted this baby, then maybe I should have thought about staying home like she did to take care of it while my partner goes to work and provides for us like a “traditional” family, and that if she and my dad were able to work it out, so can we.”
Mom explained that things are tough after the pandemic and they can’t survive on one income so she needs to go back to work. When you’re the one making more money, you can’t afford to be a stay-at-home mom. She continued:
“I as the higher breadwinner, have an internal obligation to go back to work since not only I have the most at stake, I also make the most to keep our family afloat. We are currently in a small, 1-bedroom apartment in a metropolitan area, and would need to save money to move to a 2-bedroom once the baby grows up in a couple of years as we will need more space.”
Grandma couldn’t say no to her daughter after all, but she requested to be paid for babysitting. Besides that, she wanted them to provide her with everything the baby would need like a car seat, stroller, and more.
She finished the post by asking:
“So, AITA for wanting my mom, who again is at home all day long (trust me, she does not do anything besides watch TV and cook meals), to take care of my baby for free while me and my partner try to fix our finances?”
She asked, and Reddit users delivered!
The final Reddit’s verdict is that…
Grandparents are not obligated to take care of their grandchildren! Even though they might have a lot of free time on their hands it doesn’t mean they should spend it on working. And I totally agree!
Those people worked all their lives and earned their retirement so they should do whatever they want with their free time. If they want to sleep all day long and do nothing, it’s their choice! One user wrote:
“It’s generous of her to be willing to do it for pay, and you have the gall to be mad she won’t do it for free? She is entitled to spend her life and free time however the hell she wants. It’s not her fault you’re in debt and decided to have a baby you can’t afford.”
A lot of people judged the mom for not taking up the responsibility and preparing financially before having a kid.
Kids are expensive! Studies show that the cost of raising a child in 2024 is around $306,924 for middle-income families. And this is only until the child is 17 years old! So if you are thinking about having kids, think twice!
Although all grandparents love spending time with their grandchildren (this is universal, right?), we need to understand their point of view too! We shouldn’t be entitled to think we have free daycare just because our parents are retired and “have nothing better to do”. Trust me, they do.
If there’s a simple, single solution to most of the problems humans face, it must be communication! Open discussion about our expectations with our partner and family before big decisions can save us from a lot of headaches.
What is your verdict on this issue? Share your opinion in the comments!