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4 Real-Life Stories about Grandmas Who Have to Choose between Babysitting Their Grandkids & Their Own Time
Unfortunately, her mother, having been out of the workforce since 1992, declared she was too old and had already completed her parenting duties. She suggested a “traditional” family model, which was not feasible due to financial constraints.
A woman holding a baby standing beside an elderly woman | Source: Pexels
However, she explained to her mother why it would not work for her family. Firstly, she earned more than her partner, she had multiple debts to her name, and while the partner made less money, they had debt, too.
All in all, OP was the highest-earning breadwinner, so she needed to keep her job because her salary kept her family afloat. Faced with the harsh realities of debt and the need for dual incomes, OP proposed a compromise, which her mother countered with a demand for $20 per hour for babysitting.
A black envelope with banknotes inside | Source: Pexels
OP shared, “Plus late fees if we are late for pickup, and must provide her with a car seat, stroller, bottles, and pretty much double of everything we have at our home to compensate for taking the baby to her house. She will not step foot in my house for her own personal reasons.”
This proposition added financial strain leading OP to consider daycare a more viable option. She emphasized the need to resolve her finances with her spouse first. Hence, she wanted her mother to babysit for free. But the mom still refused to understand her reasons.
An elderly woman talking to a young woman | Source: Pexels
Grandma Gets Her ‘Petty Revenge’ While Babysitting Her Grandchild
That same month, a humorous yet telling anecdote emerged from a situation where a grandmother was unexpectedly tasked with babysitting. Another Redditor narrated a story of petty revenge executed by her mother-in-law.
“My mother-in-law recently performed such a beautiful, but small petty revenge, I had to share it here. My sister-in-law had a surprise baby a year and a half ago. Both parents work, and the kid is in daycare during the school year,” OP wrote.
Kids playing at daycare | Source: Unsplash
Once it was summer break, the child’s daycare would close. Instead of finding another summer daycare, the couple randomly dropped off their kid at the grandmother’s house without asking or announcing it first.
OP recounted, “The other day, grandma had a couple of errands to run. As she was about to leave, sister-in-law arrives with the kid. Now, my mother-in-law is the sweetest, gentlest woman in the universe. So, she takes the kid without complaining.”
She prepared lunch for the child and let the child take a nap. Instead of allowing the kid to sleep for the usual half-hour, the kid slept for over three hours.
A child sleeping on the bed | Source: Unsplash
“The result? Tired parents had to deal with a kid who refused to go to sleep until 1am. Delicious,” said OP. The grandmother’s method of “petty revenge,” allowing the child to oversleep and thus disrupt the parents’ nighttime routine, serves as a light-hearted commentary on the often overlooked contributions of grandparents.
