Like most people, I need an income. During COVID-times my husband and I didn’t feel comfortable sending our toddler to daycare. So, having a “village” was essential. My in-laws were kind enough to watch my toddler for me, and pay only three days per week.
We are fortunate, and I fully acknowledge that. So many people don’t have that option and daycare rates can be astronomical. One exception is however: post on RedditThis realization made us realize that grandparents can expect high pay rates when looking after their grandchildren.
The Situation
Reddit was the first choice for a grandmother who works remotely. She did so after a heated argument with her daughter. The grandmother argued she should be compensated for babysitting her grandchild because she will be losing out on time she could’ve spent working.
The grandmother requested $15/hr to look after the one-year old. However, she complained that her daughter “lowballed” her with a counteroffer of $10/hr. “She claims she cannot afford it even with her $22/hr job,” the grandma wrote.
“I’m not a daycare, I have my own life, I work for myself and I think she should understand that,” she added.
The Response
This post seemed divided, and commenters struggled to come to an agreement. Reddit users who were observant noticed that the original post was edited. The original post stated that the grandmother had asked for $15/hr. Later, the price was changed to $12/hr. The disagreements were mainly about whether the grandmother really wanted $15/hr.
“I think you think your edit from requesting $15 to $12 makes you look better, but I feel it makes you look like even more of an a*****e. Now you’re refusing to help your daughter over a $2/hr discrepancy of spending time with your grandson. You asked for $12, and they offered $10. That’s not a low offer. Maybe if your daughter countered with like $5,” one user wrote.
Most commenters agreed that asking for compensation was appropriate, however, asking for more than half of the daughter’s pay was disproportionate.
One user stated, “Dude, just say you don’t want to babysit. You’re asking for over 2/3’s of the money she’s making pre-tax. Obviously, she can’t afford that… it’s clear you don’t actually want to do this, and instead of outright saying so you’re instead demanding an outrageous (for what your daughter earns) amount.”
Others commented that it was absurd for someone to expect childcare from their parents. One user wrote, “I’m appalled at how entitled these comments are. GRANDPARENTS DO NOT PROVIDE FREE CHILDCARE. So don’t have kids expecting to pawn them off on your aging parents. If they want to that’s fantastic but to expect it is selfish beyond words.”
