The mum said that her son was calm and not a "hard child to watch."
Parents feel relaxed when leaving their kids with their own parents or grandparents as it's a guarantee that their kids will be safe no matter what. The children, too, are happier because they know that they would be pampered by the elderly in all the ways possible.
However, a mother was in a dilemma recently after her grandma (the child's great-grandma) shocked her with a demand she had never expected to face. She decided to share her ordeal on a Facebook page, Mamas Uncut, where mums all around the world can ask "anonymous mommy questions and get real mommy answers."
The anonymous mother asked, "Should family be paid to babysit?" She continued her question with her experience and wrote, "My grandma (62) watches my son (5) for 2-4 hours 3 days a week while I work, and she DEMANDS I pay her $65/week, and it makes me livid."
She also revealed that her son "is not a hard child to watch," and continued, "He’s the calmest, most independent child I’ve ever known honestly. He doesn’t throw tantrums or run around screaming. He’s very well behaved."
As expected, a lot of parents and grandparents came forward to give their opinions. Damaris Phoenix penned, "Okay l must chime in here. I left my career to help my son with his children. I am retired totally but would be employed still had this not happened. My son offered to pay me to care for his children 2, 4, and 8-yrs-old. l moved to the state he lives and we all live together."
"I would say honestly that all the money l receive goes right back into our household. He pays me because I would still be employed somewhere had l not moved here, bought a home, etc. In grams defense, yeah you should pay her if she needs it," she continued and added, "If she is in a financial position to not need the supplemental income then she would undoubtedly do it for free. Just saying."
Another grandma, Simone Pawluk, wrote, "I’m a grandmother who babysits my grandchildren. Yes, it’s harder as you get older to watch the kids. I get paid by my daughter cause she gets paid for doing a job, I should too. I spend almost every day with her kids and love it and helping to raise her kids."
She added, "I only get paid when she works but watch the kids for her to do shopping or errands. I love the kids but they are work. When I finally went back to work when my kids were young. I paid daycare. I would have loved to pay my mother to watch my kids instead of a stranger. Oh ya and I give my daughter receipts so we both claim it on income tax."
But not all agreed with these grandmas. Elizabeth Walley wrote, "GRANDPARENTS DO NOT BABYSIT. They spend time with their grandchildren and shouldn’t have to be paid for that! I am blessed that my parents WANT to spend time with my daughter and do not expect to or want to be paid for that! Again.. GRANDPARENTS DO NOT BABYSIT!"
She continued saying that when grandparents agree to look after the children, they "make memories." She concluded by saying, "If you’re a grandparent and it is a “job” for you to spend time with your grandchildren, you’re doing it wrong."
It's true that grandparents make memories when they spend their time with their grandkids but it's also true that they are probably spending a lot more money than they're saving on the kids.
When kids grow up around their grandparents, they learn a lot about the real world. According to a study done by the University of Oxford on more than 1,500 children, it was found that kids who had the guidance of their grandparents grew up to have fewer emotional and behavioral problems.
Comparing grandparents to babysitters does seem a little weird but if you really think about it, most of these elderly grandpas and grandmas must be retired with very less income. So, do you think it's fair to not give them what they deserve?
References:
https://www.facebook.com/MamasUncutPage/
https://www.facebook.com/MamasUncutPage/posts/2816374608400946
https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/research-impact/grandparents-contribute-childrens-wellbeing#
