A grandma posted a question on Reddit, asking for advice on a tough situation.
After being a stay-at-home mom for four years, the grandma explained that she turned down her daughter-in-law’s request to watch her grandkids for a week while she went back to work.
The daughter-in-law had struggled to find daycare and finally got a job, but the daycare placement for her two- and four-year-old kids was delayed. She asked her mother-in-law to help out temporarily.
The grandma declined, citing her daughter-in-law’s strict guidelines for taking care of the kids. She found these rules a bit unreasonable but was still willing to watch her other son’s children.
One rule was that the kids should eat only vegetarian food, but the grandma didn’t follow this diet. She also mentioned that her daughter-in-law disliked the kids watching TV and had strict language rules.
Additionally, she insisted that the grandma provide educational worksheets for the four-year-old. Another rule was that the kids shouldn’t be around the grandmother’s friends, which the grandma thought was absurd as it would interfere with her social life. This last demand was the final straw for her.
The grandma firmly told her son that the daughter-in-law’s demands were too much and that a professional would be better suited for the job. However, her daughter-in-law called her, crying and desperate to keep her job opportunity.
Seeking more opinions, the grandma posted her dilemma on Reddit, receiving a mix of responses.
One person wrote, “I can’t stand it when people treat grandparents like they’re free babysitters. Since they’re still young, it’s acceptable to break the rules once a week. Children adore visiting their grandparents because of this!
I think you should be clear that if DIL is willing to make accommodations, you would be more than happy to take them. But if she won’t budge, that’s not on you; she can find another person to teach boot camp.”
Others were more critical: “I was expecting you to say that you were asked to care for them full-time, but it was just for a week. Yes, the requirements are a bit much, but you would rather your DIL miss this job opportunity because it would inconvenience you for five days.
Act morally and lend a hand to your son and DIL.”
In the end, opinions were almost evenly divided. What do you think about this situation? Tell us in the comments below!
