The journey of pregnancy and raising a child is undoubtedly one of life's greatest challenges, requiring immense dedication, patience, and sacrifice.

It's not rare for adult children to lean on their parents for support and guidance. Whether it's practical assistance with childcare, emotional encouragement during hard times, or financial aid to ease the burdens of parenthood, the bonds between generations often extend beyond traditional boundaries.

However, a recent incident between a mum and her pregnant daughter sparked a debate after the mum shared her daughter’s ‘delusional’ demands on social media.

A mother found herself in a bitter feud with her pregnant daughter, who demanded that she pay rent for staying with her, despite the mum's offer to help care for her newborn grandchild.

The mum, who chose to remain anonymous, shared her story on social media.

Her daughter, referred to as Kelly, is expecting her first child in a few weeks.

Despite their age, some seniors go out of their way to support their children in times of need. Credits: Shutterstock

However, Kelly's husband is often away for work, leaving her to navigate the challenges of pregnancy and impending motherhood largely on her own.

'Sadly the husband isn’t able to get any time off to help when the baby is born,' the mum explained.

'Kelly has expressed that it feels like she will be a single mum since her husband will be travelling while she is on maternity leave.'

‘She asked if I would be willing to help. I live five hours away, and I informed her I will have to stay over, and travelling that much is a lot. She said I could stay for a month at home and help out. I agreed,’ she continued.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn when Kelly suggested that her mother should pay rent for her stay.

'I was informed today that I will need to pay rent since I am living in the home for a month,' the mumsaid.

'I told her I am not doing that. I am already doing her a huge favour and I am not paying money on top of it.'

The mother's refusal to pay rent led to a heated argument, with Kelly accusing her of being inconsiderate for 'not helping with the bills'.

The mum, on the other hand, felt that her daughter was being unreasonable. In the end, she decided to withdraw her offer to help.

'I expressed I will not be staying over now, and she is on her own. She thinks I am being a petty jerk for this also,' the mother said.

'It’s off the table. I was moving so many things around to make this work and now I’m not doing that. I already wasn’t thrilled about having no sleep for a month.'

‘Maybe I’ll show up for a weekend, but absolutely not spend more than a few days up there,’ she added.

The mum's post has since garnered over a thousand comments, with many siding with her.

‘She was ungrateful for the opportunity and missed out—I hope she will learn from this. On another note, congratulations on your undisturbed sleep,’ one commenter said.

‘Is your daughter delusional? You’re leaving your home, coming to help because her husband can’t. They should pay you,’ another replied.

‘Pay a nanny and then she will quickly realise that she should not have asked her mum to pay rent. The rate for a nanny in my area is $20 per hour—10 hours a day, that is $200 per day. Clearly the daughter needs to sign up for a remedial maths class.,’ explained another.

One pregnant woman who also shared her feelings said, ‘I’m a single mum and if someone offered to stay with me the first month, I’d jump at the chance, and of course, take care of everything they need while staying with me… after all, they would be doing me a favour and helping out. I’d feel like I owe them, if anything.’

Many believe that parents should never be charged for staying with their children, especially if they're offering help or support. They argue that it's a way of giving back to the parents who have invested so much in their children's upbringing.

Smetimes, the people closest to us are the ones who will let us down—like this mum’s story.

In other times though, support can be found from people we don’t even know.

Check out this heartwarming story of an Aussie mum who received a simple, yet pleasant surprise from a total stranger.

Key Takeaways

• A pregnant woman named Kelly asked her mum to stay for a month after the birth to help, since her husband would be away for work.
• The mother, who would be travelling five hours and rearranging her schedule to help, was then asked by her daughter to pay rent for her stay.
• After refusing to pay rent on top of helping with the newborn, the mum decided to withdraw her offer to stay for a month, causing a rift between her and her daughter.
• People largely sided with the mother, considering her daughter's demand unreasonable given the circumstances of the help offered.

What would you do if you were in the mum’s shoes? How would you address this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[Pold]

If you have a pension you should pay rent. The daughter will have a mortgage and utility bills. My mum didn’t want to contribute but used the utilities all the time. Utility bills are enormous these days. Don’t add to the stress.
Your. Children are not a passport to free old age. We live with our daughter and pay rent as well as a share of utility bills!

 

[tqueenie55]

Even if I had no home and had to sleep on the streets, I would not pay rent to my kids, after I raised them up and .........................

 

[Ezzy]

If you have a pension you should pay rent. The daughter will have a mortgage and utility bills. My mum didn’t want to contribute but used the utilities all the time. Utility bills are enormous these days. Don’t add to the stress.
Your. Children are not a passport to free old age. We live with our daughter and pay rent as well as a share of utility bills!

Chances are they are using the same utilities at the same time, for example, in the same room at the same time watching t.v., listening to the radio, cooking meals for two. The only exception would be the shower & loo. The daughter was receiving the desired & possibly not needed help.