A woman is reflecting on whether she’s been taking her family for granted after an uncomfortable incident with her sister-in-law.
In a post on Reddit, she shared that she’s married with a 3-year-old daughter. While her husband works full-time, she stays at home and recently began creating online content focused on her garden and everyday family life.
She explained that her sister-in-law has been living with them temporarily while searching for an affordable place near her job.
“We don’t charge her for anything — she gets free food, rent, and utilities,” the woman wrote.
One day, she asked her sister-in-law to watch her daughter while she went to harvest some vegetables in the garden.
“My garden isn’t that big, so I was done in less than three hours,” she explained. “Later that day, she asked if I could give her something for babysitting — basically asking to be paid.”
The woman said this was the only time she had ever asked her sister-in-law to help with childcare.
“We never restrict her from anything in the house, and she lives here rent-free,” she continued. “I felt it was unfair for her to ask for money after such a small favor.”
When she told her husband what happened, he was furious.
“He said his sister has no sense of gratitude and maybe it’s time she moved out,” she wrote. “He even confronted her, but she just walked away without saying a word.”
Now, the woman is questioning whether she was wrong for refusing to pay her sister-in-law for watching her daughter, given that she lives in their home without contributing financially.
Since posting, hundreds of Reddit users have shared their opinions.
“So she lives with you for free — no bills, no rent, nothing — and won’t even watch your kid for a couple of hours a week?” one person commented. “NTA. Your husband is right — it seems like she’s gotten too comfortable mooching off you.”
Another added,
“Three hours is literally nothing when she’s living rent-free. That’s not a job — that’s just being a decent human housemate.”
