As new parents, Nina and her husband are struggling for money.
Her daughter is just a few months old, but she’s already looking at daycare, and worrying the fees will eat up much of what she earns. They’ve got over $7,000 in credit card debt, and Nina said paying daycare fees could drive them further into debt.
She was hoping to lean on her mother to help out, but the 29-year-old was gobsmacked to learn that she wanted to charge an hourly rate for babysitting.
For the grandma, the issue didn’t seem to be money, but instead, she disapproved that Nina was going back to work instead of staying home with her child.
“My mum is 64, and has been a stay-at-home-mom since 1992 and hasn’t been part of the workforce since then,” Nina explained in a Reddit post.
“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.”
In-debt new parents struggle to pay daycare fees
Like many families, one income wouldn’t be enough money to sustain them.
“We are currently in a small one-bedroom apartment in a metropolitan area and would need to save money to move to a two-bedroom once the baby grows up.
“In a couple of years, we will need more space. When I explained all this to my mom, she told me she will charge me $20/hour for each hour she takes care of the baby, plus late fees if we’re late for pick-up.”
On top of that, there was the equipment the grandma required: a car seat, stroller, bottles, and diapers.
To add to her demands, Nina’s mom said she won’t babysit at her own daughter’s home.
“She will not step foot in my house for her own personal reasons – she’s come in once and I’ve lived with my partner for five years.”
It’s clear infant care would be the more practical option: it would cost less, and it would be closer to home, but Nina was hoping for a free option with her mom.