Grandparent Demands to Get Paid for Babysitting Grandson: ‘I’m Not a Daycare’
When it comes to seeking childcare, a parent will typically turn to family, especially grandparents, to help watch their children while they work.
Many grandparents are happy to babysit. However, one grandparent recently took to Reddit explaining that when their 29-year-old daughter asked them to watch her son while she worked, they demanded she pay them.
The individual noted that their daughter works 7 to 8 hours per day, five days a week, and wanted them to watch her little one for two or three of the days.
According to the grandparent, they were open to watching the boy but wanted to be compensated for their time.
"Of course I am open to spending time with my grandson, but I explained to her that I would like a payment of $12/hour," the grandparent wrote via Reddit, adding their daughter tried to negotiate the price.
"She understood my need for payment but then lowballed me by requesting $10/hour because she claims that she cannot afford it even with her $22/hour job," they wrote. "I'm not a daycare, I have my own life, I work for myself and I think she should understand that I’d be giving up my time when I work from home, and if I’m going to be giving up that time then I need money to replace that time I’m giving up from my job."
The grandparent detailed that although they are "working at home," they "cannot simply work and watch her child at the same time."
"She says that it’s only 2-3 a week since her husband’s parents are babysitting on the other 2-3 remaining days while she works, and she’d be providing food," they wrote, adding: "I love my grandson, but as I stated above, I’m not a daycare."
The grandparent's post was met with mixed reviews, which many slamming OP [original poster] for not wanting to help out their child.
"What the hell? Look you're not wrong to ask for compensation but [12] dollars/hour when she barely makes 22 dollars/hour. That's not even close to fair, you're asking for more than 1/2 her paycheck. If you don't want to babysit say no, don't add BS reasons," one person wrote.
"Imagine asking money from your daughter for caring for your grandkid — especially when she mentioned she would have trouble paying your 'rate,'" another commented.
Others rallied behind the grandparent, however, declaring they should be paid.
"She has to work. If her daughter doesn't replace the money lost it doesn't make sense to babysit. You can love your family and not give them 16-24 hours of free labor a week," one person weighed in.
"My siblings always paid our parents when they babysat. If I had children I would have respected my mom and dad giving up their time to babysit and paid them," another wrote.