A new mother needed help with her newborn as she returned to work, so she asked her 64-year-old mother to babysit. Her mother agreed but requested compensation, which the daughter refused.

The grandmother, a homemaker since 1992, explained she was too old for full-time babysitting and suggested her daughter stay home if she wanted a baby. She said, “I already raised my children.” The daughter argued she couldn’t afford to stay home due to financial struggles, including $39k in student loans and $20k in other debt, while her partner made only $36k annually.

The grandmother asked for $20/hr, plus late fees, a car seat, a stroller, and compensation for travel, as babysitting at the daughter’s apartment wasn’t an option. The daughter found this unreasonable and expressed frustration, saying, “I want to save money to bring down our debt.”

Turning to Reddit, she asked if she was wrong for not wanting to pay her mother. Commenters criticized her, saying she should have planned better and that her mother had the right to refuse as she was retired. This story highlights the complexities of balancing family support and financial constraints.