I had always maintained a decent, if not overly warm, relationship with my mother-in-law, Carol. She lived nearby and was often more than willing to babysit her only grandson. It made things convenient, especially since I worked night shifts at the hospital.
However, over the past few weeks, my 4-year-old son, Liam, had started getting visibly upset whenever I told him Grandma was coming to babysit.
One evening, as I was preparing to leave for my shift, Liam burst into tears. “I don’t want Grandma to stay with me!” he wailed, clutching my leg.
I knelt down to comfort him. “But why, sweetie? What’s wrong?”
“Because… because Grandma acts strange,” he said through sobs.
“Strange how?” I asked gently, but before he could answer, Carol walked through the door, cheerful as ever. Liam immediately ran upstairs to his room.
The interaction left me uneasy, but I had no choice but to head to work. As I drove to the hospital, my mind raced with possibilities. What could Carol be doing to make Liam so anxious?
—
When my shift ended the next morning, I hurried home, determined to figure out what was going on. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, only to freeze in shock.
Liam was sitting on the living room floor, his little face pale, surrounded by what looked like broken pieces of glass and spilled juice. His favorite toys were shoved into a corner, and his eyes were red from crying.
“Liam!” I rushed over, pulling him into my arms. “What happened? Are you okay?”
He clung to me tightly, his voice trembling. “Mommy, Grandma got mad at me. She said I was bad because I spilled my juice.”
My heart sank. “Did she yell at you?”
He nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. “She yelled loud and said I’m messy. Then she threw my toys and said I didn’t deserve them!”
I felt a surge of anger but forced myself to stay calm for Liam’s sake. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here now.”
Once I got him settled, I checked the house. The kitchen was a mess, the trash can was overflowing, and the entire place had an air of chaos. Carol had already left, leaving behind no note or explanation.
I decided I needed answers.
—
Later that afternoon, I called Carol. She answered with her usual chipper tone. “Hi, dear! How was your shift?”
“Carol, we need to talk,” I said firmly. “What happened last night with Liam?”
There was a pause, then she replied dismissively, “Oh, nothing major. He spilled his juice, and I had to teach him a little lesson about being more careful.”
“Teach him a lesson?” I repeated, anger simmering beneath my calm tone. “He’s four years old, Carol. He was terrified. He said you yelled at him and threw his toys!”
“Oh, he’s just being dramatic,” she scoffed. “Kids need discipline, you know. You’re too soft on him.”
Her words hit a nerve. “Discipline doesn’t mean scaring him or tossing his belongings around! If you can’t treat him with love and respect, you won’t be babysitting him anymore.”
Carol bristled. “Are you serious? After all I’ve done for you?”
“Dead serious,” I replied, hanging up before she could argue further.
—
But I wasn’t done yet. I decided Carol needed a taste of her own medicine. That weekend, I invited her over for tea and intentionally spilled a drink on the table. As I cleaned it up, I said with exaggerated sweetness, “Oops! I guess even adults can be messy sometimes. Good thing we don’t throw people’s things when they make a mistake, right?”
She glared at me, realizing what I was doing. “Very funny,” she muttered.
“It’s not a joke, Carol,” I said firmly. “Liam is a child. He needs love, patience, and understanding—not fear. If you ever want to be part of his life again, you’ll need to prove you can treat him kindly.”
From that point on, I made other arrangements for babysitting and never left Liam alone with her again. Carol eventually apologized, though it took weeks of silence for her to realize how serious I was.
In the end, I learned an important lesson: my son’s safety and happiness come first, no matter who I have to stand up to. And Liam? He never had to feel scared in his own home again.