I’m Helen, a retired grandmother in a bit of a family dilemma. My daughter-in-law has two children from a previous marriage and a young son with my son\u2014my grandson. She recently asked if I could babysit, and while I was happy to care for my grandson, I gently explained that watching all three children would be too much for me physically and emotionally. I\u2019m retired, and managing three kids\u2014especially two that are quite energetic\u2014is simply overwhelming at this stage in my life. I told her I\u2019d gladly watch my grandson, but if she needed care for all three, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019d appreciate some compensation. I want to be clear: I love all her children. I\u2019ve always treated them with kindness and care, and I\u2019ve never tried to make them feel excluded. But from my perspective, watching three kids full-time is like a part-time job, and I believed a small payment was a fair boundary. She didn\u2019t respond at the time, but the next day, I went to her house and discovered the locks had been changed. I was shocked. When I called,<\/p>\n\n\n\n