The daughter found her mother’s request unreasonable, especially because she would have to invest in another car seat and stroller. She wrote, “I want to save money to bring down our debt, and I don’t want to pay her as much or invest in double everything, as it will spiral into more debt for me and my partner.”
What seemed like an easy solution ended up causing conflict between them. After her mother laid out her terms, it appeared that enrolling the newborn in an infant care center would actually be more convenient and possibly cheaper.
Still, the Original Poster turned to other Reddit users to ask if she was wrong for not wanting to pay her mother for babysitting. “She does not do anything besides watch TV and cook meals,” she added.
The story was not well received. Many users were critical and told her she should not have had children if she could not afford to take care of them. Some said she should have discussed the arrangement with her mother during pregnancy, knowing she would need to return to work.
Others felt she was rude for saying her mother did nothing besides watching TV and cooking. They emphasized that the older woman was retired and had the right to refuse because child care is demanding work.
Commenters added that since the grandmother had already raised her own children, she was only obligated to offer occasional babysitting out of kindness, not as a full-time responsibility. To many readers, the Redditor came across as entitled.
Here is a story about a woman who refused to babysit her cousin’s children for $15 per hour and instead quoted her own price.
