It is rather common for grandparents to babysit their grandkids when the parents are off to work.
However, like most other housework, their efforts are not financially compensated. A mother’s question as to whether she should pay her mother for babysitting ignited this debate online.
According to this mother, her mother asked that she be paid $65 a week for babysitting her 5 year old grandson. The grandmother takes care for her grandkid around 10 hours a week across three days.
The mother seemed to have two issues with what she considered a blatant request. First, she said she is confused and can’t understand how her mother could possibly demand her for money for babysitting. Second, she claimed that her son is the quietest and child – an easy child to take care of.
Responses to the question have been divided. A larger number of people seemed to agree that the grandmother should be paid, and that the mother is lucky to have someone who is willing to take care of a young child. On the other hand, others found payment to be too extreme.
One mother who sided with the grandmother said that no grandparent has an obligation to take care of their grandkids. Saying that the mother should be grateful that her mother is willing to take care of her child, she found no problem with the payment.
Another mother was more practical with her approach. According to this mother, even a quick glance around the local babysitters should make it clear that there are no sitters willing to work for 10 hours for just $65. She concluded that the mother should go a step further and tip her mother.
A grandmother joined the debate from the other side. She claimed that she was taking care of her grandchildren for hours each day because both parents are busy. However, this grandma said she will never accept a payment of some sort because she is happy to be with her grandkids.
One grandmother said she actually began babysitting for free but later asked that she be paid when her old workplace offered her a part-time job. With her extra cash, she said she has reverted to babysitting for free once more.
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Replaced!