Recently, I Visited My Daughter-in-Law, and Discovered She’d Hired a Housekeeper for the Cleaning I Always Told My Son That His Future Bride’s Financial Status Didn’t Matter to Us, So He Happily Married Mary, Who’d Never Had Much Money and Was Rather Pampered by Life After the Wedding, the Kids Moved into the House We Bought for Them My Husband and I Renovated It Ourselves, and Now We Try to Support Them Financially, Even Bringing Groceries My Daughter-in-Law Is Doing Well, Has Just Had My Grandchild, So She’s Not Working, and My Son Hasn’t Got a Fancy Job or a Great Salary You Can Imagine My Shock When I Walked into Their Home and Found a Stranger Cleaning: My Daughter-in-Law Has Hired a Housekeeper, But Does Nothing Herself—How Can She Afford This? Where’s Her Conscience? I Sent This Woman Away—After All, It’s Still My House and She Was Cleaning with My Money Where Are My Son and His Wife Supposed to Find Money for Such Luxuries? I Decided to Wait for My Daughter-in-Law, Who Was Out with My Grandchild, and Address the Matter Directly as Soon as She Returned She Explained, ‘Mum, I Became a Blogger During My Maternity Leave, Now I Earn Good Money, and I Really Need the Housekeeper Because My Work Keeps Me So Busy!’ But What’s a Blogger? Is That Really a Proper Job? Can People Actually Earn Money Doing That? And I Don’t Want a Stranger Cleaning My House ‘If You Have So Much Money, Why Not Pay Me to Clean—Strangers Needn’t Be Involved Here,’ I Said to Her She Only Muttered and Went Off to Feed My Grandson When My Son Came Home, I Told Him the Latest Family News and He Replied, ‘Mum, I Knew About the Cleaner—Maria Works Extremely Hard, and I Want to Spend My Evenings with Our Son, So I Don’t See the Harm’ I Simply Don’t Understand This Generation—How Can They Afford These Things? I Ran to My Husband, but He Just Said ‘You Mustn’t Interfere in the Young Couple’s Lives! They’re Grown-Ups and Can Manage on Their Own!’ I’ve Not Been This Angry in Ages, but I’m Sure I’m Doing—and Saying—What’s Right! What Do You Think?

Author Emily TaylorReading 3 minViews 1

The other day, I went to visit my daughter-in-law, and there was a lady in the house responsible for the cleaning.

I have always told my son that we didnt care about the financial status of his future wife, so he was happy to marry Emily, who never really had much money and had always lived a fairly sheltered life.

After the wedding, the children moved into the house we bought for them. My husband and I renovated the place, and now we try to help them out financially and bring them groceries when we can. My daughter-in-law is doing well, shes had our grandchild recently, so she isnt working at the moment, and my sons job isnt particularly impressive, nor does it pay especially well.

You can imagine my shock when I walked in and found a stranger cleaning the house where my children and grandchild live. My daughter-in-law had hired a housekeeper, yet she barely seems to do anything herself. How on earth can she afford this? Doesnt she have a conscience?

I sent that lady packing, because, whichever way you look at it, its still my house! And shes using my money to tidy up. Where would my son and his wife get money for such things? I decided to stay and wait for my daughter-in-law, as she was out with my grandchild. When they returned, I wasted no time bringing it up. I started talking, and my daughter-in-law replied:

Mum, Ive started working as a blogger during my maternity leave, so I actually earn a decent salary now, and besides, I really need that housekeeper because my work takes up so much time!

But what is a blogger, honestly? Is that even a real job? Can you actually earn a living doing that? I don’t want strangers cleaning my house.

If youve got so much extra money, then pay me and Ill come round and clean insteadno need for strangers here, I said.

My daughter-in-law just muttered something under her breath and went off to feed her son. I waited for my own son to come home so I could catch him up on what was happening, and he said:

Mum, I knew about the cleaner. Emily is working incredibly hard, and I want to spend time with our son when I get home from work, so I really dont see the problem.

I simply dont understand young peoplehow can they afford this kind of thing? I ran to my husband, desperate to tell him everything, and do you know what he said?

You really dont need to meddle in their affairs! Theyre grown-ups, and theyre more than capable of managing things for themselves!

I was furious; its been a long time since I felt so cross. Im convinced Im in the right and saying only whats sensible! What do you think?

Sometimes letting go and trusting the younger generation to forge their own path is the wisest thing we can do, even when we dont fully understand their choices. Letting them take responsibility for their own lives is how they learn, grow, and ultimately thrive.

“It’s All My Fault, Obviously! My Boyfriend’s Sister Is in Tears—She Never Imagined This Could Happen, and Now She Has No Clue What to Do, or How to Save Face My boyfriend’s sister got married a few years ago. After the wedding, it was decided the newlyweds would live with her mother-in-law. The husband’s family had a spacious three-bedroom flat with only one son. ‘I’ll keep one room, and the rest is yours!’ said the mother-in-law. ‘We’re all well-mannered people, so I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.’ ‘We can always move out!’ the husband assured his wife. ‘I see nothing wrong with giving life under the same roof as my mum a try. If we can’t get along, we can always get a flat of our own…’ And that’s what they did. As it turned out, life together wasn’t easy at all. Both mum-in-law and daughter-in-law tried, but things grew worse each day. Resentment built up, arguments became a daily occurrence. ‘You said we’d move out if we couldn’t get along!’ his wife sobbed. ‘Well, we’ve hardly tried!’ replied her husband with a patronising smile. ‘These are small things—no need to pack your bags over it.’ Exactly a year after the wedding, she became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy son. The arrival of her grandson coincided with her mother-in-law leaving her old job and struggling to find a new one, since most bosses don’t want to hire a woman nearing retirement. So mother-in-law and daughter-in-law found themselves spending nearly 24 hours a day together, unable to go anywhere, and the atmosphere at home just kept getting worse. The husband shrugged and listened to the complaints—he was now the family’s sole breadwinner. ‘Right now, we can’t leave mum on her own—she can’t pay the bills. I can’t abandon her, and I certainly can’t afford to pay both rent and support my mum. Once she finds a job, we’ll move out!’ But the young woman’s patience ran out. She packed up her belongings and her child’s and moved in with her own mother. As she left she told her husband she would never set foot in his mother’s house again. If he cared about his family, he would have to think of a solution. She was sure her beloved valued his family and would return immediately to get her back. But she was mistaken. It’s been more than three months since she moved back home, and her husband hasn’t lifted a finger to win her back. He’s still living with his mum and only talks to his wife and child by video call after work; at weekends, he visits them at his mother-in-law’s. Now, the man enjoys attention and care from two women, and his own mother has plenty of sympathy for the son abandoned by his angry wife, but takes no real responsibility for their child. The husband is on easy street—and the mother-in-law probably thinks life is grand! Meanwhile, the young wife is utterly miserable. She still loves her husband, even though she knows he’s in the wrong. ‘What did you expect when you left?’ asks her husband, ‘You can come back whenever you want.’ She probably isn’t planning to leave her mother or rent a flat, as she’s on maternity leave and just can’t afford it. Is this really the end for their family? Do you think there’s even the slightest chance for her to move back in with her mother-in-law—and come out of this with her dignity intact?”