I was happy to help with my daughter-in-law’s (DIL) kids because I’m a happy grandma. But when she asked me to watch all three kids, I knew I had to lay down some rules. I agreed to watch my real grandson, but I told her I would need to be paid for watching her two other kids from a previous marriage.
When I woke up the next morning, I found that my DIL had changed the locks on her house and I was no longer welcome. She said I was treating her kids differently when I called her to talk about it. I tried to explain that it wasn’t because I was being unfair, but because I was retired and couldn’t do certain things.
It can be hard to take care of three kids at once, and I thought I deserved some money for all the time and work I put in. I told my daughter-in-law that I love all of her children, but I was not able to care for all three without help.
Sadly, the situation has made things tense in my family, and my son is now caught in the middle. I’m upset and sorry for the stress I’ve caused, but I also think my limits should be honoured. It’s hard for me to figure out how to deal with this problem without making things worse.
