Making a deal with a family member, whether it may be a working agreement, living arrangement under some requirements, or both, is still a deal. Yes, as it’s one’s family, rules probably in most cases are not that strict; however, if you agree on some particular thing, once you break it - don’t be surprised if the whole arrangement is canceled.
A single mom’s niece found herself in a similar situation. One Reddit user shared her story online after she made a deal with her niece to hire her as a nanny in exchange for free housing near her university. However, family drama ensued once she started an internship, was unable to be the kids’ nanny anymore and was simply asked to move out.
Deals are deals - if you were hired as a live-in nanny, once you can’t do that, most probably you can’t live there anymore either
Image credits: Omar Lopez (not the actual photo)
This woman decided to search for a live-in nanny around the same time her niece got into the university nearby, thus she hired her for this role
Image credits: Kinga Howard (not the actual photo)
For 2 years, her niece was living at the woman’s house, working as a nanny and getting paid, until she got an internship starting in January
Image credits: Sai De Silva (not the actual photo)
Thus she won’t be able to work as a nanny anymore, so the woman explained to her that she needs to move out as she has to find a new live-in nanny
Image credits: u/KaleidoscopeOld3504
The whole situation caused family drama, with the girl's mom telling the woman she is acting unfairly
A Reddit user shared her story online asking folks if she was in fact being a jerk for telling her niece, who agreed to be a live-in nanny for the woman's kids in exchange for rent-free living, to move out as she won’t be able to take care of the kids anymore. The post received a lot of attention and collected more than 11.4K upvotes and 1.2K comments.
The woman starts her story by sharing that she is a single mom and, 3 days per week, has 12-hour shifts. In that case, she needs a nanny who could take care of her kids once they are done with school. Thus the best option was to hire a live-in nanny as she has one available guest bedroom. Around this time, her niece got into the university that is close to her home.
They made a deal for the niece to live at the woman's house, take care of the kids these 3 days per week and get paid. 2 years went by with no complaints, but then she got an internship, meaning she will not be able to take care of the kids anymore. The OP offered to help her niece find a new place to live, which was met with confusion.
Her niece said that it’s not fair as she won’t be able to save any money. However, OP emphasizes that she needs to find a new live-in nanny and she has only one guest room. OP’s SIL also contacted her, telling her that what she is doing is unfair; however, the woman highlights that her niece knew from the beginning that she was looking only for a live-in nanny for childcare needs.
Redditors backed the woman up and gave her the ‘Not the A-hole’ badge. “The living arrangement was for the nanny, a position that your niece was filling. It was NOT made for your niece, specifically,” one user wrote. “You are supporting YOUR children. Your niece's parents need to support their child. You hired her for a job that included a place to live, she's leaving the job, the place is no longer hers,” another added.
Image credits: Kinga Howard (not the actual photo)
While raising a child can be full of happiness and joy, it's an extremely difficult job. Especially if you are a single parent with a career. Sometimes it may seem overwhelming and impossible, but Thriving Parents highlights that achieving fulfillment and happiness for yourself and your kid as a working single parent is in fact possible.
Moreover, they share tips that may help you achieve it. To begin with, it’s important to ask for help. Although it may seem that asking for help is a sign of weakness, continuing to handle things alone could lead to exhaustion, which is bad for both you and your child. Also, it’s very important to find time for yourself. Frequent self-care will enable you to reduce stress, and your child will appreciate having a happier, more energetic parent.
A few simple things such as setting boundaries and goals, spending quality time with the child, going to yoga or shopping may seem useless; however, it will allow you to forget about your problems and work that needs to be done for a while and will bring you inner peace.
Now, let’s talk about live-in nannies. According to Great British Nannies, the majority of parents who benefit most from having a live-in nanny are those with busy schedules, demanding jobs with unpredictable hours, or a desire to travel.
However, like almost everything, live-in nannies have some pros and cons. Parenting Healthy shares that they can offer your child a trustworthy and reliable caregiver, fostering a sense of familiarity and attachment as they grow to be a member of the family. You can feel secure knowing that your child will receive personalized attention.
But it’s also crucial to keep in mind the cost. You should also take into account the fact that the nanny will be living with you, so you'll probably need to establish ground rules about things like when the nanny can take time off and which rooms are off-limits.
So, guys, what do you think about this story? Was the woman overstepping by telling her niece she has to move out? Or she was being fair and her niece shouldn't create drama over it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Almost everybody in the comments shared that the woman was not being a jerk in this situation
