Before the divorce, she managed childcare by herself, but after that, she started looking for a nanny. She found one—her mother-in-law. At first, she just asked if her mother-in-law knew someone who could help, but the older woman offered her services for a fee. Her salary isn’t much, so she has to save carefully.
At work, I have a colleague who struggles financially. She doesn’t treat herself to beauty treatments or visits to the salon. I always wonder what happens to her paycheck. She lives with her parents, doesn’t have a mortgage like others, and her child is looked after by her former mother-in-law; plus, she receives child support.
It turns out that Emily has to pay her parents rent for her room and also pay her mother-in-law for child care; I just can’t fathom how it’s possible to live this way.
Half a year ago, when Emily started working with us, we became friends. It quickly became clear that we had much in common, including children of the same age.
Emily was upfront that she’d divorced her husband and moved back in with her parents. Her parents are well-off, both over fifty and working in good jobs. They built a house outside the city and spend every holiday abroad. When Emily returned home, they offered her a room to live in.
I assumed she could stay there rent-free, but unfortunately, they’ve charged her from the start. She finds comfort only in the fact that it’s her family and not strangers; always better for the child.
They even gave her a separate shelf in the fridge. She doesn’t use her parents’ things, though sometimes they offer the child some fruit.
I can’t understand how people can act this way. Moreover, after her husband left, Emily had nothing, so she was in debt to her parents for the initial months.
Before the divorce, she was the sole caregiver, but afterward, she needed a nanny. She found one in her ex-mother-in-law. Initially, she asked if the woman knew anyone who could help, but her mother-in-law suggested herself, for a fee of course. Emily liked the idea because the woman knew her grandson, his likes, dislikes, and what he should or shouldn’t do. Being responsible, Emily agreed, and whenever necessary, the grandmother would look after the child.
Everything would be fine if not for the fact that Emily is short on money and struggles to get by, let alone indulge herself.
I just can’t understand how parents can treat their own child this way…
