“Yes, I requested money for looking after my grandchildren during the summer holidays. My pension isn’t endless!”
This year, my daughter-in-law’s mother announced she wouldn’t be taking care of the grandchildren over the summer. Both my daughter-in-law and son are working all summer, so they don’t have time to watch their boys. They can’t even think of taking a holiday this year.
They asked her mother to have the grandkids for at least a week, but she flatly refused, saying, “I’m not taking that kind of responsibility!”
The grandchildren are already in school. What responsibility is there? You feed them and let them play in the garden—there’s no more to it. It’s not like they’re infants needing diaper changes, laundry, or constant carrying around.
My son, for instance, grew up in the countryside. I used to send him to his grandmother’s during the holidays. All kids did back then, while parents worked. No one worried about responsibility; times were different.
Eventually, my son called me, sounding desperate about their dilemma. “Otherwise, they’ll be stuck inside the flat all day,” he sighed.
“I can take them to my cottage, if you’d like,” I suggested.
“Really? Mum, you’d be a life-saver,” he replied gratefully.
“It’s no trouble. Besides, I don’t want them cooped up inside all summer.”
Of course, my daughter-in-law was pleased by my offer. Our relationship isn’t the warmest, but that’s a small issue. However, I was straightforward with my son:
“You’ll have to provide for their expenses, though, as my pension isn’t endless.”
He seemed taken aback, as did his wife. They probably assumed I’d cover everything for the summer. Do they even realize how small my pension is? It’s impossible!
“How much do you need?” he inquired.
“Not me, the grandkids. Roughly £500 per child each month.”
My daughter-in-law smirked, then pulled him aside to whisper, though I heard everything.
“I’ll have to give her half my paycheck!” she complained.
“And? What’s the alternative?”
“Maybe we could send them to a camp?”
“Have you checked the prices? It’d cost us two paychecks! Plus, the kids are still too young for camp. Your mum isn’t asking for the money for herself; it’s for feeding and entertaining the kids. Everything is pricey these days.”
“Your mum could have asked for less. She knows we have a mortgage, and I’ve only just returned to work. It’s heartless.”
“And your mum? She wouldn’t even take them for a week, while mine’s willing to have them all summer!” my son finally retorted.
In the end, he supported my decision. They gave me the money for the summer and left. My daughter-in-law complained about money issues but managed to find £3,000 somewhere.
The grandkids and I had a wonderful summer. They didn’t miss out on anything. I bought sweets, toys, and even some clothes for them. Every Sunday, a man drives into our village selling toys. How could I refuse them? It’s just little things, but they cost money.
Their parents came to pick them up at the end of August. You know what’s funny? My daughter-in-law expected an expense report detailing how the money was spent.
“Sorry, dear, I didn’t itemize everything,” I said.
“Well, since you asked for money, there should be an account. What if you spent it all on yourself?” she snapped.
“So, that’s what you think of me?”
“I just don’t see how you spent £1,000 a month when you grow your own vegetables. There’s nothing special entertainment-wise at the cottage. Stuffed them with cucumbers and pocketed the cash, did you?”
“How dare you say that! You could at least ask what they ate. Not a day without meat! We went to town nearly every weekend for the funfair, and that’s not cheap.”
“I just can’t believe you spent every penny.”
“My pension was used too, if you must know. You can ask the kids what I bought them, but I don’t have receipts—with a heads-up, I’d have kept them.”
I wish my son had overheard this. I didn’t want to involve him in the conflict, knowing it would lead to a fight with his wife.
My daughter-in-law counts every penny, thinking I profited. I could have gone without the money; then the kids would only have cucumbers to chew on, and ice cream once a week. Is that the holiday she wanted? Next year, we’ll see about that!
