My Mom Refused to Babysit My Newborn for Free—Then Asked for $20 an Hour
After maternity leave, a 29-year-old mother asked her 64-year-old mom to care for her newborn while she returned to work. However, the grandmother refused to provide free full-time childcare, explaining that she had already raised her children.
She requested $20 an hour, late fees, transportation costs, and an extra car seat and stroller. The new mother felt the demands were unreasonable because she and her partner were already struggling with debt and trying to save for a larger apartment.
She later discovered that an infant care center would be cheaper and asked Reddit whether she was wrong for refusing her mother’s terms. Most users sided with the grandmother, saying retirement didn’t make her automatically responsible for raising another child—and that full-time childcare deserved fair compensation.
