Ali Condon
If your mother-in-law were kind enough to offer to babysit your toddler, would you expect to pay her for her time?
That's what one mum Amy is wondering after her husband's mum revealed she expects to be paid to spend time with her six-month-old grandchild.
Struggling to figure out the next move, the distraught mum took to the internet for answers.
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Asking for advice on Bright Side, Amy explained that she and her husband of ten years share a six-month-old baby daughter Katie.
Although her husband works from home, Amy shared that the couple could use someone to watch their little girl while they're both at work.
"My mother-in-law recently retired and she offered to watch our baby while both of us are working," she wrote.
"We accepted and it's all good, she has a way with kids so no comments there. I truly appreciate her time and devotion and everything she does. She not only watches the baby but also does the dishes, cooks, and cleans."
Sounds like the perfect mother-in-law right?
Well, not so fast.
"My MIL and I had a talk yesterday where she dared to ask us for payment/hour. I am still in shock," wrote Amy.
"How dare she ask for money for precious time with her grandchild? Putting a price on time spent with Katie??
"When I was a baby, my grandma used to babysit me and my sister for hours on end. My grandma never asked for any kind of payment, money, or gifts, she just did it out of love for us.
"I used to babysit my siblings for hours on end when I was younger, for free."
That's why Amy was so confused when her mother-in-law started asking about payment.
"I don't even know what to say, I'm angry and this situation has started to affect my marriage," the frazzled mum confessed.
Unfortunately for Amy, her husband is siding with his mum on this one, arguing that she should be paid for her time, because 'if she didn't care for our kid, we'd still be obligated to hire a complete stranger and we'd probably end up paying even more.'
"I am out of options," Amy admitted.
"I have thought through everything and I'm lost. My head is just AAAH. What do I do here?... My friends have never had this problem before, so I have no one else to help me."
Amy's dilemma begs the question, do you pay loved ones to babysit if they're looking for cash?