A Reddit post about a grandmother charging for babysitting has parents everywhere talking. The story? A cash-strapped new mom asked her 64-year-old mother to watch her baby—only to get a detailed invoice in return.
The grandmother, a homemaker for 30 years, didn’t mince words: “I’ve raised my kids. If you want me to raise yours, pay me.” Her terms included hourly wages, late fees, and even reimbursement for driving the baby home.
The daughter, struggling with debt on a $55k salary, was crushed. “I thought she’d want to bond with her grandchild,” she wrote. Instead, she’s now scrambling to find cheaper daycare.
Online, opinions split. Some called the grandma unreasonable: “What’s retirement for if not spoiling grandkids?” Others praised her for setting boundaries: “Childcare is work. Why should she do it for free?”
The debate taps into a bigger issue: Many young parents today rely on grandparents as affordable childcare—but what happens when grandma says no? This family’s story shows that even in close-knit families, time has a price tag.
