Is your adult child asking for rent money? See why this mum is outraged by her daughter's 'ungrateful' request

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.


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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.
 
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I feel sad for her and wonder if her daughter would be resentful and if she will see her first grandchild as one should. Not everyone has good family relations. What made the daughter ask for rent I wonder?
The daughter is not a single mother, her husband might need to review his working distances to be a husband and dad too with his wife's attitude.
 
Is this poor woman’s daughter delusional? She should be so grateful that her selfless mother was willing to help her with her new bub. Unfortunately we seem to have raised a generation of entitled, ungrateful people. Grow up and welcome to the real world young lady. It’s you who should be paying your mum not the other way around.
 
I would expect to pay my way, the daughter would not be asking if they didn't need it. If the Mother is not happy to contribute or can't afford to, then don't. The offer is there if the Daughter changes her mind, there is no reason to go to war over a few dollars.
 
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Reactions: marni
Is this poor woman’s daughter delusional? She should be so grateful that her selfless mother was willing to help her with her new bub. Unfortunately we seem to have raised a generation of entitled, ungrateful people. Grow up and welcome to the real world young lady. It’s you who should be paying your mum not the other way around.
You are assuming they can afford to support the mother, and that the daughter is just ungrateful, entitled, and should be paying the mother. Nice.
 
Charge the daughter for helping out and make sure that the amount charged is greater than the rent.... like $200 a day which is reasonable in this day and age.... watch the daughter change her tune.
What if the daughter can't afford to keep her mother, you don't know anything about her situation, but want to charge her for help. Perhaps an alternative would be for the daughter and bub to stay with the mother.
 
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The headline here is somewhat misleading. The mother was to be 'staying' with the daughter for up to a month at a time, while continuing to maintain her own household. Not as though she was actually living there. Under these circumstances, it would be fair to ask for a contribution to food and bills, but not rent. I have always contributed in some way when I stay with one of my children, whether by just giving them some cash or perhaps doing a grocery stock-up shop for them, but would be horrified if they expected me to pay rent when I was visiting, especially if it was to help them out.
 
I love love love being a grandparent and will look after my grandkids at the drop of a hat. In fact they stay with me every lot of school holidays and they lived with me for 3mths over Covid lock down while home schooling was going on and I suddenly became a teacher (that a interesting).
When my youngest grandson managed to give himself a 12cm spiral fracture of his Tibia and was confined to a wheel chair, he came to stay with me as well for 6wks before the Xmas school break a couple of yrs ago. Although my son and DIL have offered me money I have always said NO as I feel honoured that they they trust me enough to take care of their children.
So when I go to stay at their place for more than a wkend, it's just an unwritten rule that they feed me while I'm there as I feed their children, cloth them and take them all over the place on exciting adventures out of my own pocket. Plus I get bored very easily so will often weed their gardens and deep clean their house including windows.
 
What if the daughter can't afford to keep her mother, you don't know anything about her situation, but want to charge her for help. Perhaps an alternative would be for the daughter and bub to stay with the mother.
Mum can always buy groceries. That would be the only additional expense except for an extra shower every now and then. Perhaps mum is a diva who is high maintenance. We don't know.
What I do know is that the mother did the right thing by withdrawing her personal assistance. The daughter will get her own reality check in good time.
 
What if the daughter can't afford to keep her mother, you don't know anything about her situation, but want to charge her for help. Perhaps an alternative would be for the daughter and bub to stay with the mother.
The daughter asked for the help. Visiting for a month is hardly "keeping her mother". Most people in this situation would bring a supply of groceries with them. We don't know if that is the case here, but I can't get past the point that the daughter ASKED her over for a month. If she couldn't afford it, the wording could have been, mum can you come here for a month, help look after the baby, and pay your way while you are here.
 
Is this poor woman’s daughter delusional? She should be so grateful that her selfless mother was willing to help her with her new bub. Unfortunately we seem to have raised a generation of entitled, ungrateful people. Grow up and welcome to the real world young lady. It’s you who should be paying your mum not the other way around.
Not all adult children are ungrateful. I have 3, all of whom at some stage stayed with us as adults. All 3 paid a minimal rent. Not only that, they helped clean the house, mowed lawns, contributed to buying food and cooked dinner without me asking. You reap what you sow!
 

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