**Diary Entry 12th October**
Im absolutely boiling with rage today. Another row with my mother, and I cant even bring myself to ring my husbands mum.
Were lucky, they say, having two grandmothersmine and his. Though lucky feels like a stretch. Both live barely a hundred yards from our sons nursery, yet neither will budge an inch to pick him up. Id do it myself, but my shift ends at six, making it impossible. My husbands no betterfactory work means unpredictable hours. So here we are, forced to hire a childminder, another drain on our already tight budget. All while two perfectly capable grandmothers sit idle!
My mother clocks off at four. Every day, she walks right past that nursery on her way home. But her personal lifes her priority nowfreshly divorced from my stepdad, shes living for herself. Post-work, its all face masks and me time, she says. Weekends? Booked solidcinema trips, gallery visits, girls nights. Shell take our lad occasionally, but only on Saturdays, and even then, she grumbles he ruins her zen by charging about during her meditation. Funny how shes full of parenting advice but wont lift a finger to help.
Then theres my mother-in-law. Never held a jobdevoted housewife, raised four kids, my husband being the eldest. Youd think shed leap at the chance. Not a bit of it. Done my time, she says. Claims shes too busy cooking, cleaning, and picking up after her grown sonsan 18- and 21-year-old whod survive just fine on their own, if you ask me.
Once, just once, she collected our boy. Came back fumingapparently, fetching him meant her men missed supper. Later, she snapped, You had him for yourselves, not me. Sort it out. Made it clear we shouldnt expect her help again.
The childminders fees are bleeding us dry. What galls me most is the hypocrisyevery Christmas, these same grandmothers coo over him, bragging about gifts theyve bought. We dont need presents. We need someone to step up.
Today, I had to swallow my pride, ring my mother, and beg her to fetch himwere skint this week, no spare quid for the sitter.
Neither set of parents lifts a finger, not with time, not with money. My mother-in-laws excuse? Feeding the lads eats up all my housekeeping.
Ive no idea how well dig ourselves out. Every penny goes on bills, groceries, and the damn childminder. How do you make grandparents care enough to help?
**Lesson learned:** Blood may be thicker than water, but it doesnt always flow when you need it.
