Most people will tell you that becoming a parent is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Grandparents, on the other hand, will tell you that seeing your own children become parents is equally as beautiful.
Though, for this loving grandmother, not everything is always as peachy as you’d think. In fact, she had to put her foot down when her own daughter began using her as a personal babysitter for her grandson!
Keep reading to find out what happened when this grandmother finally told her daughter “no”…
A grandmother took to Reddit‘s ‘Am I The A*****e‘ thread to explain how she faced a tough decision recently regarding her daughter and grandson.
The 56-year-old began her post by saying she felt she had been forced to choose between her own rest and babysitting her 14-month-old grandson during her upcoming vacation.
Her 26-year-old daughter, a single mom since her husband left when their son was just three months old, had been living with her mother for support.
Opening up about her routine, the grandmother, known as Original Poster (OP), shared that she typically cared for her grandson from 6 PM to 8 PM while her daughter was at work.
“Currently, to help my daughter, I pay the expenses at home and she pays for daycare and the baby’s things (diapers, formula, etc.). And there’s still plenty left for her to save up to eventually move,” she wrote.
“I decided that I would take a month off next month to rest, without necessarily traveling,” OP continued.
However, when OP’s daughter found out about the month rest, she saw an opportunity to save on daycare costs and expedite her plans to become financially independent.
“When my daughter found out about the vacation, she talked about the possibility of saving money on daycare to save up to move since I could stay with my grandson,” OP revealed.
Though her daughter made an emotional plea for help, explaining how difficult it was to navigate single motherhood, OP stood her ground. She refused her daughter’s request to babysit longer than the morning hours, emphasizing the importance of her own rest and boundaries.
“She started crying, saying that she was trying to gain independence and eventually move out, but that being a single mother was so hard and I wasn’t making it any easier. Basically she begged me to at least stay another 3 hours, but I stuck to what I said,” OP recounted.
Despite her decision, OP couldn’t help but feel guilty about her daughter’s situation. “I love my grandson, but it is also my rest,” she expressed.
The story sparked a discussion online, with many offering their perspectives on the grandmother’s dilemma.