I offered to help babysit my twin grandkids, thinking it would be a few hours a week. But it turned into a full-time job—without pay or thanks. When I asked for a break, my daughter-in-law got upset. I eventually sent her a small invoice to make a point. Instead of understanding, she sent me a grocery list of things I supposedly ate while babysitting and asked me to pay for them. My son sided with her.
Hurt, I declined to babysit next time. Later, my son brought groceries and admitted they may have been too harsh. I told him I love my grandkids, but I won’t be treated like hired help. Things still feel tense, and I’m unsure if I did the right thing—but I know I needed to set a boundary.