I have a difficult situation on my hands. My husband and I have been happily married for 10 years. We have a beautiful and healthy 6-month-old baby, and we both work full-time. He works from home, and I work in an office.
My mother-in-law recently retired and offered to take care of our baby while we both worked.
We accepted, and everything was fine; she has a gift with children, so no comment on that. I really appreciate her time, dedication, and everything she does. She not only takes care of the baby but also washes the dishes, cooks, and cleans.
Yesterday, my mother-in-law and I had a talk where she dared to ask us for pay. I’m still in “sh0ck.” How dare she ask for money to spend quality time with her granddaughter? Put a price on the time he spends with Katie?
When I was a baby, my grandmother cared for my sister and me for hours, never asking for any payment, money, or gifts. She did it out of love for us. When she was younger, she took care of my brothers for hours and hours for free.
I don’t even know what to say, I’m angry, and this situation has started to affect my marriage.
My husband believes she has a right to charge us because if she didn’t take care of our daughter, we would still be forced to hire a complete stranger, and we would probably end up paying even more.
NISE, I’ve run out of options. I’ve thought of everything, and I feel lost. My head is like, “Ahhh!” What can I do here? Do you have any advice? My friends have never had this problem, so I don’t have anyone else to help me.
