Woman praised for refusing to babysit baby grandchild for free

A woman has been praised online after she refused to babysit her grandchild for free – asking for an hourly wage instead.

Raising kids is no easy task, as they require constant supervision because they obviously don’t possess the ability to fend for themselves until they’re older.

With the kids needing to be under a constant watchful eye, it can be tough to work around a working schedule as most parents will need a job to financially support the family.

It’s usually the case to enlist the help of the grandparents when it comes to child care, as they’ve done it all before and often have a bit more free time on their hands.

Though it would seem that one grandmother wasn’t having any of it and even tried to charge her daughter for any childcare.

Parents are often faced with a dilemma when seeking childcare. Credit: Leah Kelley / Pexels

Writing on the popular Am I The A**hole forum on Reddit, the unnamed 29-year-old daughter questioned whether her mother was being unreasonable.

“My mom is 64, has been a homemaker/stay-at-home-mom since 1992, and hasn’t been part of the workforce since then,” the Redditor explained.

After asking her mum to help her with her new baby, she said: “She refused, saying she’s too old and that she already raised her kids.

“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.”

Stating that she and her partner are paying back student loans as well as saving for a bigger house, she admitted they can’t really afford childcare right now.

She went on: “When I explained all [the] above to my mom, she then proceeded to say that she will charge me $20/hr for each hour she takes care of the baby, plus late fees if we are late for pickup, and must provide her with a carseat, stroller, bottles, and pretty much double of everything we have at our home to compensate for taking the baby to her house.”

The mom was expecting the grandmother to babysit for free. Credit: Jordi Mora igual/Getty Images

Stating that her mom “does not do anything besides watch TV and cook meals”, the Redditor questioned whether she was the a**hole for asking her mother.

People flocked to the comments with support for the grandmother, as one person wrote: “YTA [You’re the a**hole]. She raised her family and she has the right to want to be paid if she is going to give up part of her retirement to help you.”

A second added: “Your plan for raising a child shouldn’t have been based on your Mom providing you with free childcare.”

A third penned: “Your Mom is right. She already raised her kids. She is not responsible for your kids, you are. As a responsible adult, you should have reviewed your finances before deciding to have a baby to ensure you could afford the childcare and other expenses that come with having children.”

Others said that the new mom can ask her parents to help with child care, but she shouldn’t expect it and should take no for an answer.

Having kids is tough, isn’t it?