Is it fair for grandparents to charge to watch their grandkids?

Is it fair for grandparents to charge to watch their grandkids?

Grandparents are not free labour and parents should know that. 

A grandmother hugging her granddaughter
A grandmother hugging her granddaughter/Facebook/@starcollegedurban

We live in a society that can sometimes get things twisted. Sometimes it's innocent and other times it is an abuse of good nature. 

When we look at the dynamic of grandparents and their grandkids, it has definitely evolved. 

Where once grandparents were looked at as second-tier parents, or in some cases full-time guardians, they have evolved as a generation and come into their own. 

In other words, it is not okay for parents to now just assume that grandparents will always be there to babysit. 

Where once it was okay to just assume that grandparents would care for their grandkids in your absence, now it has become something of a social enigma. 

Grandparents should not be taken for granted. They have lives of their own and it should not be assumed that they are always available to babysit. 

One grandmother that has everyone talking shared that she charges her kids for caring for her grandkids. 

A granny who chose to remain anonymous shared that she didn't feel she needed to care for her grandchildren without charging a fee. 

"She has been the go-to babysitter for her daughter and son-in-law whenever they needed a night out or had an event to attend. At first, she was happy to help out for free, driven by her love for her grandchildren." (Briefly)

But it seems as time passed, it became somewhat expected of her to care for her grandkids. 

And so, she brought up the topic of charging a babysitting fee to her daughter and son-in-law; shock and horror it became an issue. 

Check out East Coast Radio for more


Of course, people were open and honest about their true feelings. Why shouldn't the grandmother be paid for caring for her grandkids? 

Many people were in agreement with the grandmother, which was something of a pleasant surprise. 

We think the key focus here should be that yes, grandparents want to spend quality time with their grandkids, but they also have served their time as parents and spending time with their grandkids should be a desired choice. 

Well, if you are not happy to compensate grandparents for their time, then perhaps it would be nice to pamper them. So, give them a treat, which they fully deserve when they babysit?

Carol podcasts
East Coast Radio

Follow us on social media: 

Image Courtesy of Facebook

Show's Stories