A grandmother was stuck between a rock and a hard place when she had to choose between spending her vacation alone and not babysitting her grandson. Her daughter thought she was unfair and did not understand the struggle of being a single mother.Being a single mother is difficult, but having a solid support system makes the job a bit easier. A 56-year-old grandmother and mother had been trying her best to be there for her daughter after her child’s father left her.
However, while trying to balance her personal life, being a supportive mother and a present grandmother, the 56-year-old found herself in a bit of a difficult situation when she had to refuse to babysit her grandson.
Her 26-year-old daughter had her father’s child walk out on her when her son was only three months old. She had to start over and move back in with her mother.The 56-year-old was willing to help her daughter work her way back to independence, but she also had a busy schedule she was juggling, like going to work and the gym.
However, the grandmother always tried to find time to help her daughter and spend time with her grandson. Her usual day ended at around 5 p.m. Then, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., she stayed with her grandson until her daughter came back home.When it comes to navigating the costs, the grandmother said she handled the household expenses while the daughter took care of most of the baby stuff like diapers and daycare. Which the 56-year-old reckoned left her with enough money to save for her eventual independent life.While the grandmother wanted to do her best to help her daughter navigate life as a single mother, she also wanted to have time for herself, which brewed a big fight between them and had the 56-year-old questioning her choices.
The Big Fight between the Mother and Daughter
The grandmother decided to take a month off work. She did not plan to use her vacation to travel; instead, she just wanted to rest. But when her daughter heard about the time off, she thought it would be a great opportunity for her mother to babysit.The 26-year-old thought her mother’s time off work would help her save on daycare, but when the grandmother heard of the plan, she said, “I immediately said no, as it is my rest and taking care of a child for 6h/5d+2h at night is not in my plans.”
Although the grandmother did not agree with her decision to take the child out of daycare, she still tried to find a compromise to help with babysitting in the morning so that her daughter could rest, but in the afternoon, the son would go to daycare.However, the daughter did not agree. She broke down and told her mother how difficult being a single parent was and that she was not making her life any easier. The daughter begged her mother to babysit for an extra three hours, but she refused to compromise.
The grandmother continued reiterating that she did not think spending time with a 14-month-old would be restful. She felt bad about her daughter’s situation and loved her grandson, but the 56-year-old still wanted to prioritize her rest during this vacation.
What Did Commenters Think?
Readers did not think the 56-year-old was wrong to choose not to babysit her grandson. Many agreed that one month off not paying for daycare would not have impacted her financial abilities to move out.Others suggested that she sought help from her ex-partner and the government. While commenters agreed that being a single mother was not easy, they also believed that the grandmother did not have to sacrifice her holiday for a child that was not hers.