“Mom, we would prefer not to send our child to a day care,” he said to me. “Could you possibly take care of our baby instead?”
Without hesitation, I enthusiastically agreed. It felt like both a privilege and a responsibility as a parent and grandparent, rather than just a decision based on the financial implications of leaving my job.
The stress would have been even more overwhelming without the support of their family.
I received $300 for 30 hours of childcare the first week
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Initially, the plan involved me taking care of the children for four days a week, occasionally with the help of my husband. On the remaining day, and occasionally on weekends, the responsibility would be taken over by my daughter-in-law’s parents.
I was filled with excitement as I believed I had so much to offer my grandchildren. In fact, I had even obtained a day-care license after completing classes at a community college. The idea of running my own business from home had crossed my mind. However, I ultimately decided against it due to the exorbitant insurance expenses involved.
The accountant of my son and daughter-in-law later suggested, “Perhaps you could compensate your family for taking care of your children and use it as a deduction on your taxes?”
However, when they handed me my paycheck at the end of the week, a wave of guilt washed over me. It made me feel like I was just another employee. I couldn’t let this happen again, so I sat my son down and told him, “I’m a grandma, not a granny-nanny. Things need to change.”
I now provide childcare for free
I didn’t do it for the money. No amount of compensation can replace the priceless memories I have with my grandchildren.
They insisted that I keep the dollars and use them towards items I had already purchased, such as cribs, dressers, and bouncy toys.
I informed them that I had bestowed upon my son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren an invaluable gift.
I have been responsible for taking care of my granddaughter, who is now 10 years old, at my house from early morning until late afternoon. Her parents would bring her over in the morning and pick her up in the evening. This routine continued even after her younger brother, who is now 8 years old, was born.
When they needed to work late, I would gladly drive the children back to their house and stay with them until they were ready to go home, even if it meant staying until 10 p.m. Luckily, their home was only 4 miles away from us.
It’s an extremely rewarding job
As the children grew older, I would bring them to preschool for a three-hour session every morning. During this time, I educated myself in American Sign Language and used it to communicate with them. Additionally, I dedicated time to reading to them, which has resulted in both of them excelling academically and performing above their grade level.