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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

AIBU- mum refusing to help with childcare when I return to work.

621 replies

Essexgurlx · 21/06/2022 19:28

Hello,
I am in my early 20s and fell pregnant unexpectedly a couple of months after finishing university and starting my professional career.
I have a partner of 5 years.
We decided to continue with the pregnancy despite it not being the best time in my life in respect to me newly graduating and starting my career!
My family were delighted when we told them.
My mum is a healthy fifty year old woman and hasn’t worked outside the home since she was around mid 20s and had me and my sibling and became a SAHM. She has lots of free time now as me and my sibling have both flown the nest and she does not plan to return to any work, does not study and does not volunteer etc.
My sibling is younger at university and will not be having children anytime soon.
I am going to be returning to work early next year and want to return full time. In my area full time nursery places are at least £1000 per month and I (stupidly now I realise) just expected my mum to offer to care for my baby multiple days a week.
My partner works 4 days per week in shift patterns where they would be overlap between our working hours but not to the extent of a full day. So for example I would work 7am-4pm and he would work 2pm-12pm meaning my mum would only need to provide child care 2-4pm not for full days or anything like that. My mum has made it clear she “doesn’t want to be tied down with a child” and is only interested in caring for her grandchild “every now and again”. She has asked me multiple times what my plan is for nursery care.
I am now feeling so stressed at how much nursery fees are going to cost.
My partner’s parents both work full time Monday to Friday similar hours to me so they can’t support but I think they would if they could and my dad is very busy with 2 jobs and not a lot of spare time at all. There is no other family to care for the baby while I am at work so I will have to put her in nursery or to a childminder.
AIBU to feel upset and let down by my mother?
I just expected more support from her- especially as she was so excited to have this first grandchild gloating to all her friends, posts about my baby all over her social media and threw a lavish baby shower inviting everyone she knew for her to now turn around and basically say she isn’t offering any support.
What would you do in this situation?

OP posts:
ArcheryAnnie · 21/06/2022 21:08

@Tilltheend99 I have explicitly instructed mine to put me in a home when the time comes. I didn't have a child so they'd be a carer. I want him to have his own life, and I want a relationship with my son that's not about him wiping my elderly backside.

PaddingtonBearStareAgain · 21/06/2022 21:09

Youarehorrid · 21/06/2022 20:54

you should F**k off

Name change fail OP considering what you are posting about it being 2 days also.

Superslide · 21/06/2022 21:10

I do understand why you're disappointed though. I had two under 18 months old and had my retired stepmum be all excited but then she lost interest after week 3. She said she'd support me and come over a couple of times a week with my firstborn in the early days so I could get some sleep. Then she seemed mightily put out that I wanted to have a catch up sleep while she was there.

In the end, I reared my two under 5's almost single handedly. I think I got one or two nights out a year.

PaddingtonBearStareAgain · 21/06/2022 21:10

Youarehorrid · 21/06/2022 21:03

Never said she owed anything

Stick to one name OP it gets confusing

MolliciousIntent · 21/06/2022 21:10

@Youarehorrid I pity your child. Entitled mother, psychotic father.

Lifeismeh · 21/06/2022 21:10

You’re acting like you’re getting no support at all - I bet your bottom dollar you absolutely are. You’re just not getting the exact support you feel entitled to or expect. Your poor mother.

also, as you’ve only replied once and this is often a controversy ‘they don’t owe you childcare’ post then I’m guessing you possibly started this for the entertainment of replies.

Fifi0102 · 21/06/2022 21:11

YABU it's not your mum's responsibility to provide childcare.

NippyWoowoo · 21/06/2022 21:11

Hello, I'm this mothers partner and she's been in bed crying for the last few hours because of you fucking wankers it's for 2 days a week and her spoiled mum who does fuck all says she won't help. LISTEN WHEN I SAY THIS YOU ARE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN IF THATS HOW YOU THINK AND ACT!

Hello 🧌

🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌

User2145738790 · 21/06/2022 21:11

What kind of cultural background do you have op? Are you from a culture where childcare is commonly shared amongst the family?

MiniatureHotdog · 21/06/2022 21:12

YABU. You sound very young, do you still see your mum as "just" your mum, rather than a separate adult with their own life? I agree with pp, she dedicated herself full time to raising you and your sibling and yet you still expect her to base her life around your needs as an adult? That's a very unfair level of expectation!

Herejustforthisone · 21/06/2022 21:12

Thread down in three….two….one…

FemmeNatal · 21/06/2022 21:13

Youarehorrid · 21/06/2022 21:08

Hello, I'm this mothers partner and she's been in bed crying for the last few hours because of you fucking wankers it's for 2 days a week and her spoiled mum who does fuck all says she won't help. LISTEN WHEN I SAY THIS YOU ARE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN IF THATS HOW YOU THINK AND ACT!

Have you considered putting your child up for adoption?

GrazingSheep · 21/06/2022 21:13

Lordy …

WombatChocolate · 21/06/2022 21:13

The problem is shown by the poster who just said that the grandchildren and childcare IS the GPs responsibility, because the GP is the OPs Mum.

No. People never stop being parents, but their responsibility in a day-to-day basis for the minutiae of their kids lives stops. Standing on your own two feet is part of being an adult.

Perhaps in some circles, adult children never really ‘grow up’ and become independent. Perhaps they continue to cling onto their parents and their parents to them and flying the nest and becoming grown up doesn’t happen. You see it with alt children who expect to eat regularly at their parents, or to be driven around like teenagers, despite living elsewhere. It reminds me of Denise in the Royle family, she’d have expected Barbara to do everything, because that was her role as a mother. But Denise was the eternal child - that was the comedy of it. But sounds like there are people like that in real life.

Are these people also still constantly ringing their Dad to come and do bits of DIY that they could learn to do themselves…but never actually even consider because ‘that’s Dads job’ or dropping their ironing off for their Mum to do? Sometimes parents encourage this too…they allow themselves to be at the c
beck and call if their adult offspring and will cancel anything else if one of their kids makes a demand. Perhaps OP’s mother has been like this (or not) and sees that before the child arrives, it’s time to draw a line? Why did OP assume this would happen? Is it that she lives in an area where people don’t use childcare and grandparents do lots of it? Perhaps it is more the norm where she lives, but it will never be everyone having local, parent based childcare.

Fortunatelybthe vast majority say the OP is being entitled and brattish. They don’t sound mature. This surprise pregnancy and child isn’t the height of mature thinking and planning, and neither are the thoughts in childcare. Sorry if that sounds harsh. How’s the time to do some growing up and taking responsibility.

ArcheryAnnie · 21/06/2022 21:13

Youarehorrid · 21/06/2022 21:08

Hello, I'm this mothers partner and she's been in bed crying for the last few hours because of you fucking wankers it's for 2 days a week and her spoiled mum who does fuck all says she won't help. LISTEN WHEN I SAY THIS YOU ARE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN IF THATS HOW YOU THINK AND ACT!

Why aren't you sorting out childcare arrangements, then, instead of putting pressure on a woman you clearly don't like to look after your child.

Really, it's a mystery why she's not keen on tying herself to your schedule. Total mystery.

pictish · 21/06/2022 21:14

A few hours, yes. A few days a week? Hell no.
I’m 46 so not a huge leap from your mum, age-wise. My kids are all older now, teens and a young adult.
I love being past all the the little kid stuff. If I didn’t have work to go to, the last thing I’d spend my free time doing, is baby care ‘a few days a week’.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy having my grandchild, I would, but not to provide regular childcare as a money-saving measure for a professional wage.

At 46 I’m enjoying a better quality of life than ever…no thanks to toting a pram around and thinking about nappies when I could be out on my bike.

ivykaty44 · 21/06/2022 21:14

I just expected more support from her

Never expect support, communicate with someone is far better and finding out what their thinking about the matter is.

Lifeismeh · 21/06/2022 21:15

Ok now I’m just here for the deletion message 😂

devonianBiatch · 21/06/2022 21:15

@Youarehorrid

Wow. So you two kids make a baby and get sad nobody wide wants to take care of it? WOW. Entitled much? You two are the two people that are dissed to love that kid more than anybody wise in the world. Grand parents love their grandkids, sure, but we aren't their PARENTS! we don't owe anythng just because you chose to have a kid. Honestly, just find a childminder?!

GrazingSheep · 21/06/2022 21:15

It sounds as if your partner doesn’t have a great opinion of your mother..

SoupDragon · 21/06/2022 21:15

Hello, I'm this mothers partner and she's been in bed crying for the last few hours because of you fucking wankers it's for 2 days a week and her spoiled mum who does fuck all says she won't help. LISTEN WHEN I SAY THIS YOU ARE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN IF THATS HOW YOU THINK AND ACT!

"spoiled mum"? 😂😂 She isn't the spoilt one.

Cyclebabble · 21/06/2022 21:16

Sorry OP but I do not think your mum is being unreasonable. She is entitled to live her best life, particularly when her own DC have grown up. What you are asking is in reality three to four days a week of work on an unpaid basis.

PaddingtonBearStareAgain · 21/06/2022 21:16

Youarehorrid · 21/06/2022 21:08

Hello, I'm this mothers partner and she's been in bed crying for the last few hours because of you fucking wankers it's for 2 days a week and her spoiled mum who does fuck all says she won't help. LISTEN WHEN I SAY THIS YOU ARE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN IF THATS HOW YOU THINK AND ACT!

Wow.

Listen everyone the man has spoken.

Yorkshirebred · 21/06/2022 21:16

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 21/06/2022 19:31

What I would I do? Stop being an entitled brat and step up to your responsibilities rather than expect your mum to do it for you!

Without bothering to read anymore posts the first one nailed it.
Your kid.
Your responsibility.

iwishiwasafish · 21/06/2022 21:16

I can’t get over how self centred you’d have to be to assume that someone will be your permanent childcare just because you don’t think she is doing anything else important.

You realise your mum is an actual person, right? Like a real human being with her own thoughts and feelings?