A female Redditor shared her difficulty with her mother with the community. The woman mentioned that she was going back to work and needed assistance taking care of her newborn because she had just given birth.
Her mother, a 64-year-old housewife who had been one since 1992, was the first person she thought would be ideal for the role. Her mother, though, was not thrilled about a full-time babysitting position.
The grandma reasoned that she had already raised her children and was too old. She also advised her daughter that if she had wanted a child, she ought to have thought about remaining at home.
The older woman stated that she and her husband had decided that if they could manage it, her daughter and partner would be able to have a “traditional” family. She would stay at home and look after the children while he worked and supported the family.
Even though the 29-year-old could have given these choices some thought, she clarified that they had recently survived the epidemic, which had a negative financial impact. The woman detailed her monthly income and debt accumulation in addition to the weak economy.
“I earn $55,000 annually, but I have $39k in student loans and $20k in other debt (credit card, auto loan, and credit-related medical bills),” she stated. My spouse earns roughly $36,000 year and owes $5,000 on credit cards.
Given her high debt levels and position as the highest-earning user on Reddit, the Redditor could not afford to continue her unemployment. In addition, the recently growing family rented a modest one-bedroom apartment with the intention of saving money and moving up as the child grew older.
For the new mother, therefore, every penny mattered. The grandma would not, however, consent to watch her child for free. She requested $20 per hour, a car seat, a stroller, and late fees if the parents were to pick up the child later than expected. She also requested payment for taking the child back to her daughter’s residence because she could not find a babysitter to watch the child from their apartment.
In the five years that she and her partner had lived there, the new mother claimed that her mother, who lived fifteen minutes away, had just once visited her apartment. However, the grandmother refrained from entering their house for private reasons.
A distressed-looking mom clutching a weeping infant | Source: Shutterstock
The daughter thought her mother was being unreasonable, especially since it would require her to buy a new stroller and car seat. “I want to save money to bring down our debt, and I don’t want to pay her as much or invest as much in double everything as it will spiral into more debt for me and my partner,” she said, extending her argument.
Her mother and she got into a fight over what appeared to be a simple fix for her issue. It appeared like taking her newborn to an infant care center would be more cost-effective and convenient for her and her partner after her mother set forth her requirements.
However, the Original Poster (OP) asked other Reddit users if she was mistaken in thinking that her mother should be paid for her babysitting services. The person said, “She just cooks and watches TV.” OP agreed.
The Redditor’s account did not get positive feedback. Similar to how her mother was harsh, other people advised her not to have children if she couldn’t afford to raise them. The commentator went on to say that since the woman knew she would have to go back to work during her pregnancy, she ought to have addressed this arrangement with her mother.
Many others agreed with Reddior’s assessment, believing her to be impolite for claiming her mother’s only activities were cooking and watching TV. Because child care was a tough job, netizens underlined that the older woman was retired and had the right to decline her offer.
The older mother was right to remind out that she had raised her children, some commenters said. This meant that she could volunteer to watch the kids occasionally out of pure goodwill. Thus, the reader’s perception of the Redditor was shaped by the entire story.