Most grandparents are willing to do anything to spend time with their grandchildren.
But a wife has recently shared how her mother demanded to be paid for watching over her grandson even though she has already been living with her and her husband.
The woman took to Mumsnet and wrote: “She has helped us out a lot by looking after my son when both me and my husband are in a pinch.”
She continued: “This has been great and much appreciated and at first I thought she was happy to help out because she expressed how much she wanted a grandchild before my son was born.”
Their arrangement had been going well until her mother started asking for payment to look after her son.
“She has recently said she now wants to be paid for looking after my son and is upset that we haven’t paid her at all,” the wife continued.
“She did not indicate that she expected payment in the first place.”
The woman explained that her mother doesn’t pay anything for rent, amenities and food, and has even gone on many holidays with them.
“If anything I’m more hurt that she feels this way, as my point of view us paying her feels like a transaction and not the fact that it’s her grandchild,” she continued.
“I’m more than happy to pay for expenses that she might incur for looking after my son but in our case, there isn’t any because she lives with us. But if she wants payment then I might as well take my son to a nursery when I’m back at work.”
Her post sparked a lengthy debate among internet users who argued as to who was in the wrong.
One person wrote: “It seems strange that she’s asking to be paid for childcare when she’s living rent-free as a family member.”
Another wrote: “Say yes – happy to pay you. At the same time, we set up the rental agreement for us housing you/subsidising your living expenses and then we can knock it off what you owe us…!”
A third said: “I would pay her. It is hard looking after a 9-month-old all day every day. I think it is odd that you don’t.”
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