Recently, I had to go on a week-long work trip, and it was tough being away from my son. Thankfully, or so I thought, my mother-in-law (MIL) offered to take care of him. Before leaving, I left her a couple hundred dollars in cash on the counter to spend on my son if he needed anything.

When I returned home, tired but happy to be back, I noticed the money I had left was untouched. On top of it was a handwritten note from my MIL: “WHERE IS THE REST?!”

The rest??? I called my MIL to clarify what she meant, and her answer baffled me.
“Nannies in this area get $20 per hour, and I just spent 24 hours a day for 7 days straight with your son. I DESERVE COMPENSATION OF AT LEAST $3,360! THESE SCRAPS THAT YOU LEFT FOR ME ARE NOT ENOUGH!!!”
I was stunned. “But you offered to watch him, and you’re his grandmother!” I protested.

“It doesn’t matter,” she replied coldly. “I spent my time and effort taking care of him, and I should be paid accordingly.”

Realizing she was serious, I thought, “Oh, well. If she wanted to be treated like a nanny, I could do that.” I replied:

“Since you are his nanny and not a grandmother, then I will have to treat you like one. Nannies have contracts, provide receipts, and give detailed reports of the child’s daily activities. I expect you to provide a written breakdown of the hours you worked, including meal times, nap times, and play activities. Also, I will need a detailed expense report for any additional money you spent on him.”

My MIL was silent on the phone for a moment before she sputtered, “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” I replied firmly. “If you want to be compensated as a professional, you must act like one. Please have these documents ready by tomorrow, and we can discuss your payment.”

The next day, my MIL arrived, looking flustered but determined. She handed me a hastily written piece of paper with the hours she claimed to have worked, but it was clear she had not kept any detailed records. There was no breakdown of activities or expenses.

I reviewed the paper and shook my head. “This isn’t sufficient. If you can’t provide proper documentation, I can’t justify the payment.”

Furious, my MIL stormed out of the house. A few days later, she called and tried to negotiate a lower amount, but I stood my ground. “If you want to be paid like a nanny, you need to provide the proper paperwork. Otherwise, I can only compensate you for the additional expenses you incurred, which clearly was none since the money I left wasn’t touched.”

Realizing she had lost this battle, my MIL reluctantly agreed to drop the demand. From that day on, she never brought up the subject of payment again, and our relationship became somewhat strained. But I had made my point clear: family helps family out of love, not for money. And if she wanted to play the professional game, she had to be prepared for the professional rules.

In the end, I settled the score not with money, but by standing firm and making her understand the value of family over finances.