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Grandmother Slammed for Refusing To Babysit for Widowed Daughter: ‘Cruel’


Internet viewers were quick to defend a millennial mom of two who needed help with child care from her own mother.

In a viral Reddit post published on the r/AmITheA****** subreddit, u/FeralGoblinCat shared how her 8-year-old son—who has severe ADHD and autism—fell ill, prompting her mom to offer to babysit so she wouldn’t miss work.  

The anonymous poster, a newly single mom after her husband died in an accident, told Newsweek that her mom and sister help out with babysitting from time to time. 

But when her son had a “meltdown” at the idea of going to his grandmother’s house, tensions flared. 

“I [asked] if she can just stay. She said no and insisted he had to come with her, and that made it worse,” the poster wrote.  

The situation escalated when her mother lashed out, telling her daughter she was “a burden” and complaining that she was tired of taking care of others.  

The poster covered her son’s ears and responded, “Mom, he’s 8,” before her mother left, later refusing to babysit again. 

“I was only upset with her for the way she spoke to my kid,” the poster told Newsweek. “According to my sister, [my mom] blocked my number [and] is speaking to me through her.” 

The conflict didn’t end there. In an update on Reddit, the poster revealed that her mother and sister had showed up at her workplace, leading to an altercation that required the police to escort her off the property.   

Her post has gone viral on Reddit, clocking up over 7,200 upvotes. Hundreds of Reddit users rallied behind the poster in the comments. 

“She is an adult. She’s allowed to have her big feelings around other adults, but it’s immature as hell and very damaging to take that out on an 8-year-old. You did the right thing in refusing to let her treat your child like that,” one user wrote.  

Another commented: “From what you have said I can understand why your 8 year old doesn’t like going to her house. As another commenter stated, she’s allowed to have her feelings but taking it out on you and your children? It’s absolutely cruel.” 

The poster said “all support” is missing for parents in her situation. “My husband was my whole support system before the accident and, now that he is gone, I have no one else.” 

When asked what she would want her mom to understand about the situation, the poster spoke to the societal expectation to bounce back after grief.  

“My husband died less than a year ago,” she said. “My sons lost their father, and everyone seems to think we need to just get over it and that isn’t something you just get over.” 

In the wake of the fallout, the poster said she is focusing on rebuilding stability for her children.  

“I did speak to my mother today, kind of, and she just escalated the situation and blocked me rather than resolve our issues,” the poster added.



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