Woman Is ‘Annoyed’ That Her Mom Refuses to Babysit Her Grandkids at Her Own House

A woman says she feels frustrated after her mother declined to babysit her grandchildren at her own house, a decision that has divided opinions online.

The woman shared her situation on the “Am I Being Unreasonable?” forum on Mumsnet, explaining that she and her husband have two sons, the youngest of whom is 3 years old. She recently asked her mother to watch the children for a few hours while she accompanied a friend to the hospital to receive scan results. At the same time, her husband was hoping to use the child-free window to take down holiday decorations and tidy up the house.

According to the post, her mother agreed to babysit — but only if she did so at the children’s home, not her own. The woman said her mother is “very particular about her house” and prefers not to have the kids there.

The poster said she explained that having the children out of the house would make it much easier for her husband to get things done. If her mother stayed at their home instead, she felt it would defeat the purpose.

While she acknowledged that babysitting at the children’s home may be easier since all their toys are there, she said she believes her mother should be willing to take the grandchildren to her own house “once in a while” to help out. She also noted that her children haven’t been to their grandmother’s house in four or five years, despite her living nearby.

“Am I being unreasonable to feel annoyed about this?” she asked, adding that she feels her children are missing out on spending time at their grandmother’s house — and that she and her husband rarely get time alone without the kids.

Many commenters felt the woman’s frustration was misplaced and said she should be grateful her mother is willing to babysit at all.

“You sound a bit entitled,” one person wrote. “Just be grateful your mom is prepared to babysit.”

Another commenter suggested there may be practical reasons behind the grandmother’s preference, noting that some grandparents find young children overwhelming in their own homes. “They’re not her kids,” another added. “She’s set a boundary, so honor it. Your husband can still take down the tree while she entertains them elsewhere in the house.”

Others, however, sympathized with the woman and said her feelings were understandable.

“I do get it,” one commenter said. “I would be really sad if my mom never wanted my kids at her house. That’s such an important part of childhood.”

Another agreed, writing that it seemed unusual for a grandmother who lives nearby to never host her grandchildren and said it wasn’t unreasonable to hope she might do so occasionally for a few hours.

The discussion ultimately highlighted a familiar family tension: balancing boundaries, expectations, and the emotional side of grandparent-grandchild relationships.