When my son Marcus married Jenna, his high-school sweetheart, I welcomed her with arms wide open, but somehow, she did all in her power to build a wall between us. When my grandson Tommy was born, I barely visited because any time I wanted to stop by their place, they found a bunch of excuses.
Because of some reason, Jenna considered me intrusive although I never interfered in any of their decisions.
And then, one day, I got a call from Marcus.
“Hey, mom,” he said. I could sense in his voice that he was calling because he needed something.
“I’m taking a business trip, a very important one,” he said. “It’s Friday to Sunday, but Jenna had been planning this spa weekend with her sister for so long, and it’s on the same date. So… I was wondering if you could help out with Tommy.”
At that moment, my heart skipped a beat. Babysitting my grandson was something I could never say no to. On the contrary, I was over the moon I could spend three days with him.
“Of course, Marcus, I’ll be there,” I said, and started packing right away.
On Friday morning, I was 15 minutes early. Marcus and Jenna left, leaving me with my loving grandson.
However, once I stepped foot in the house, I noticed a bad smell. When I looked around, I noticed piles of dirty dishes in the sink. There was also a box of takeout food that seemed to be there for way longer than it should. Piles of laundry were waiting to be done and Tommy’s toys were scattered all over the place.
“Well, Jenna’s still young and she still struggling with her commitments,” I though to myself.
When I tried to make something for Tommy to eat, I noticed that the fridge was nearly empty.
“Tommy, let’s go some grocery shopping,” I said.
We went to the nearest store and bought everything Tommy needed — milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables, and a bunch of other things.
The rest of the day was filled with plenty of fun activities. I took Tommy to the park where we built a fortress from the sand, then raced each other on the swings until we were out of breath.
When he went to sleep, I decided to clean the place — I washed the dishes, did the laundry, and cleaned every corner of the house.
The following day, Tommy and I had even more fun. We made cookies, and he loved them.
Babysitting my grandson made me feel needed and appreciated, even if just for a weekend.
When Sunday arrived, I was sad to leave, but I was glad I got to spend time with Tommy.
Marcus and Jenna thanked me for stepping in at such a short noticed, but I felt like I was the one that needed to thank them.
A couple of days later, I received a message from Jenna.
At first, I thought it was a joke, but I realized she was serious.
“Eggs – $8, Water (3 bottles)- $3, Electricity – $12, Toilet paper – $3, Laundry detergent – $5, Toothpaste – $4. TOTAL: $40
“Please Venmo by Friday. Thanks!! ❤️”
My daughter-in-law sent me a bill for the things I used during the three days while I was babysitting my grandson.
At first, I thought about telling Marcus about it, but then I decided to handle the matter myself.
If she wanted to play dirty, I was going to do the same.
I opened my computer and made an invoice myself.
INVOICE FOR SERVICES RENDERED Weekend of [Date]
CHILDCARE SERVICES: 60 hours of care @ $17.50/hour = $1,050.00
HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES: Kitchen deep clean = $75.00 Bathroom cleaning = $50.00 Laundry service (3 loads) = $45.00 General tidying and organizing = $100.00
MEAL PREPARATION: 5 meals for child = $50.00 Baking activity (educational) = $25.00 Meal for parents (casserole) = $30.00
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES: Trip to grocery store = $15.00 Trip to park = $10.00
GROCERY SHOPPING: Personal shopping service = $30.00 Groceries purchased for household = $127.84
ADDITIONAL SERVICES: Educational activities = $50.00 Bedtime routine management = $25.00
SUBTOTAL: $1,682.84
FAMILY DISCOUNT (Because I love Tommy): -$1,642.84
TOTAL DUE: $40.00
I printed it, and before sending it to Jenna, I wrote that her bill was paid in full.
It didn’t take long before my invoice was delivered and I got a call from my son.
“Mum, what is going on. Jenna’s upset. She says you sent her an invoice for babysitting Tommy. How could you?”
With a serious voice, I said, “Did she tell you she sent me a bill herself first and wanted to charge me for the toilet paper I used while babysitting my grandson?”
Marcus was shocked. I could hear him asking his wife if that was true. He then told me he needed to hang up and that he would call me later.
The following day, Marcus asked me to go to their place. I agreed unaware of how everything would unfold.
When I arrived, Jenna greeted me at the door.
She couldn’t look me in the eyes. “I’m really sorry,” she said. “I knew what I did was very wrong. You are an awesome grandma, and Tommy loves you endlessly.”
She even thanked me for cleaning the house and stocking the fridge with food.
I knew her apology was genuine, so I accepted it.
The incident only brought us closer. From that day on, Jenna started inviting me over more often. I sometimes helped her with her chores, but as time passed by, there was no longer need for that. Her house was spotless.
I became more involved in my grandson’s life and the barrier between me and Jenna was replaced by mutual respect.
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