“Yes, I insisted on being given money to look after the grandchildren during the summer holidays. My pension doesn’t stretch that far!”
This year, my daughter-in-law’s mother declared she wouldn’t be looking after the grandkids during the summer holidays. Both my son-in-law and daughter-in-law work all summer, so they can’t watch the boys. They don’t even get hope for a holiday this year.
They asked my daughter-in-law’s mum if she could take the kids for at least a week, but she flatly refused: “I’m not taking on that kind of responsibility!”
The grandkids are school-age now, what responsibility could that be? Just feed them and let them play in the garden—there’s nothing more to it. They’re not infants needing nappies changed, laundry done, and carrying around all day.
My son grew up in the countryside, for instance. From a young age, I would send him to stay with my mum for holidays. Back then, kids grew up in villages while the parents worked. We didn’t worry about responsibility because those were different times.
Anyway, my son called me, quite upset, saying they were in a bind. “They’ll be cooped up in the flat all day,” he sighed. “Well, I could take them to my garden,” I replied. “Really? Mum, you’d be a lifesaver. I don’t want the grandkids spending the summer indoors.” My daughter-in-law was also pleased with my offer. We don’t exactly get along, but that’s trivial. I immediately told my son, “You’ll need to cover their expenses since my pension doesn’t stretch like magic.”
He was taken aback, as was his wife. They must have assumed I’d cover everything for the kids all summer. Do they have any idea how little my pension is? It’s impossible!
“How much do you need?” “Not for me, for the grandchildren—about £400 each a month.” My daughter-in-law gave a sly smile. She pulled him aside to whisper something but didn’t realise I could hear it all. “I’d have to give her half my salary!” she protested. “So what? Do you have another solution?” “What about a summer camp?” “Have you seen the prices? We’d need to hand over two salaries! Plus, the kids are too young for camp. She’s not pocketing the money for herself—it’s for feeding and entertaining the kids. You know how expensive everything is now.”
“Your mother could have asked for less. She knows we’re dealing with a mortgage and I’ve just gone back to work. She’s being unreasonable.” “And how is your mum reasonable? She wouldn’t even take the grandkids for a week, while mine is willing to have them all summer!” my son retorted.
In the end, they supported me. They gave me the money for the summer and left. Despite her complaints about money, my daughter-in-law somehow managed to find £2,400.
We had a wonderful summer, the grandkids and I. They weren’t deprived of anything. I bought sweets, toys, and even some clothes. Every Sunday, a fellow visits our village with a van selling toys. How could I refuse? He sells all sorts of trinkets, but they’re not cheap.
Their parents came to pick up the kids at the end of August. And guess what? My daughter-in-law decided I should account for all the money I spent.
“Sorry, dear, but I didn’t keep track of every purchase.” “Well, if you demanded money, there should be a report. What if you spent it all on yourself?” she scoffed. “Is that really what you think of me?” “I just don’t understand how you could spend £800 a month when you have your own fruits and vegetables. There’s little entertainment at the garden. You barely need to feed them a cucumber and let them play!”
“How dare you say that about me! Did you even ask what the kids ate? Not a single day without meat! We went to town almost every weekend for the rides, and that’s not cheap. I even spent part of my pension if you must know. Ask the kids what I bought them. And no, I don’t have receipts—I’d have saved them if you’d warned me.”
It’s a shame my son didn’t hear any of this. I didn’t want to drag him into the conflict, as it might lead to an argument with his wife. My daughter-in-law is counting every penny, thinking I made a fortune. I could’ve managed without the money, but then the kids certainly would’ve been eating nothing but cucumbers and getting ice cream just once a week. Is that the kind of holiday she wanted? That’s what we’ll do next year!
