My husband, Miles, never saw the value in paying my mom to babysit. He thought she should just be grateful to spend time with her grandkids. So when he fired her to “save money,” I decided to teach him a lesson.
At first, Miles promised he’d help more with the kids, even talked me into having another baby. But when our second daughter was born, those promises vanished—he buried himself in work, leaving me overwhelmed and exhausted. My mom, Wendy, stepped in, even offering to retire early to help us full time. She asked for $3,000 a month—far less than daycare—but Miles scoffed at the idea.
Still, she helped, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids until Miles decided to let her go behind my back. I overheard him saying she should be “thankful” for the time with her grandkids. My mom, hurt but graceful, found a new job with neighbors who paid more and appreciated her.
Meanwhile, our house fell apart. Daycare was more expensive, the kids were constantly sick, and Miles started to feel the pressure. Then I took a weeklong trip and left him alone with the kids.
By day two, he was begging for help—sleepless, overwhelmed, and completely out of his depth. When I came home, he was a mess and finally admitted how wrong he’d been.
We met with my mom. He apologized sincerely and promised to treat her with the respect—and pay—she deserved. She agreed to come back, with terms in writing.
That week taught Miles what I already knew: my mom wasn’t just helping us—she was holding us together.
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