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Mom Asks For Advice After Grandmother Demands Payment For Babysitting

There comes a time (or several times) in every parent's life when they need a babysitter. Sometimes, parents want to go out on date night. Other times, they have an event to go to. And then there are those parents who go back to work after having kids and look for some extra help while their children are still young. For some families, they are fortunate enough to have grandparents who are able to help out along the way.

Many parents who are fortunate enough to still have their parents around sometimes rely on them for help.

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Usually, grandparents love the fact that they are able to spend time with their grandchildren for an extended period of time. Especially because, without the parents around, they can do whatever they please.

Most of the time, they do it happily without any reimbursement.

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It just so happens that most grandparents are happy to watch and spend time with their grandchildren. It's family and it's quality time, so they're usually looking forward to it.

But, how would you feel if your grandparents asked you to pay them for watching your kids?

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Most people would pay a babysitter if they were to hire one, but avoid paying for daycare by having family around to watch them, right? Well, how would you feel if your family asked for payment, too?

Recently, one mom wrote into the Facebook page, Mamas Uncut, about her grandmother's request.

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The mother messaged the Facebook page and shared the question, should family be paid to babysit? It's something that I'm sure many people have wondered in the past.

She clarified the situation, too.

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"My grandma (62) watches my son (5) for 2-4 hours 3 days a week while I work, and she DEMANDS I pay her $65/week, and it makes me livid... Also he is not a hard child to watch. He’s the calmest, most independent child I’ve ever known honestly. He doesn’t throw tantrums or run around screaming. He’s very well behaved," she said.

The resulting opinions on the page were actually pretty mixed.

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Some people thought it was "wrong" to charge family for babysitting.

"My mom watches my son and my [brother's] two kids every Friday. She also takes care of my 91-year-old grandma. If I tried to pay her she would be mad at me. I couldn't imagine asking my son for money when one day in many, many years from now to pay for me babysitting his kid/s. [M]aybe it's my family, but charging family just feels wrong," one person wrote.

This question seemed to strike a chord with a number of Facebook users, including many grandparents.

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For some of those who also babysit their grandchildren, they said they would never charge money for their services.

"Um. No. I'd never charge to watch my grandbabies. They are my family. I'd rather watch them than them being in daycare," one user said.

Another grandmother said she doesn't get paid money, but her daughter and son-in-law show their appreciation.

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"I watch my granddaughters so my daughter and her husband can have time together. They pay me, but not with money. I’ve been treated to pedicures, manicures, taken out to dinner and the biggest is help getting my car fixed," one user wrote in the comments.

However, some Facebook users needed more information about the situation before making a call.

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"Does she feed your child? What is her income? How does providing regular child care impact her life?" one user asked.

If the grandmother is paying out-of-pocket for some expenses, it would make sense why she was asking to be reimbursed.

Others said that, at the end of the day, the grandmother wasn't asking for much compared to daycares.

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"$65 a week?! I pay $35 a day... you have it good," one user said.

All in all, the mom would be paying about $260 for a month of childcare, which is well below the $1,230 monthly average cost.

Many people, however, said that the grandmother should absolutely get paid.

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"Yes, us as grandparents it is not our responsibility to watch them but we would rather they be with us than mistreated elsewhere, remember some of us grandparents are not old fogey stogeys and still have a life so yes... not asking for a whole paycheck but something that shows appreciation," one person wrote.

Others said it depends on the family.

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"My MIL watches my kids for free while my husband and I work. Every family is different and this is something you should negotiate with your grandma," one added.

For some, the answer was clear and simple.

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"Absolutely she should be paid. No question. Why wouldn't you feel like her time was worth being paid to keep your child?" one user asked the mom.

"You should pay her, thank her profusely for her generosity with her time, and throw in some gifts for good measure," another user added.

At the end of the day, it seems that there is no "right answer."

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People on Facebook have extremely mixed feelings. Some say that the mom should 100% pay the grandmother, while others say paying family members is wrong.

What do you think?

h/t: Mamas Uncut

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