selfishdaughterorselfishmother ·
06/04/2011 21:35
(Regular but name changed as may be easily identifiable from this post)
My mother is a very financially driven woman, to the detriment of family life. It has made her millions but has caused divorce etc, and estrangement from my siblings.
She has never ever helped with my children - I mean no babysitting, no financial assistance nothing - her words if people choose to have children, they should not expect assistance from anyone else.
Whilst I agree with her, over the years there have been tough occassions, for example emergency admission to hospital, where childcare support would have been extremely helpful, but she would not do it.
However, when it is her opportunity to make money I'm seen as selfish and heartless and not family orientated if I don't help her out.
She has her own company and never turns down work, because in her words 'I can't say no to that kind of money'. She gets about £900p/h after expenses.
She has asked me to work for her (she'll pay me £6p/h gross) when we are meant to be on holiday, and has got really stroppy with me because I said no.
She's then phoned me 6 times asking me to do it, I said if you are that desperate for me to do it, then I want a bigger cut, she said 'It's all about money with you'. I said 'I learnt from the master'.
This is the type of work that you can easily hire a student etc to do. She won't hire them, a) because they'll probably want more per hour, and b) she knows me. I purposely do a poor job - bare minimum so that she doesn't ask me again.
So she's going to phone back - am I being unreasonable when she won't help me out, to not help her out? Or as a daughter, should I help out my mother?