I am a single mom of two kids, and I need money. My mother refuses to babysit while I work full-time. Divorce is a hard experience, but sometimes it is necessary. For Meghan, divorce saved her and her kids. She wrote to us, sharing her struggle to support her children alone after the divorce. Meghan expected her parents to help, but her mother suddenly stopped being supportive and now refuses to babysit her grandchildren. Meghan is now asking for help and advice on how to handle her difficult family situation without hurting anyone.

Meghan, 27, wrote us a very emotional letter, crying out for help. She feels overwhelmed with problems and contradictions in her life, and the lack of support from her parents makes it worse. Her parents are giving her ultimatums, and she feels both dependent on them and resentful of their tough decisions.

Meghan shared her story, saying, “My husband and I were married for 8 years, and we have 2 kids, who are 4 and 5 years old. From the beginning, I saw many red flags in my husband’s behavior, but I loved him and was dependent on him emotionally and financially. Like many women in unhappy relationships, I hoped he would change, but he never did.

My parents always criticized my marriage and advised me to wait to have kids. I didn’t listen because I thought fatherhood would change my husband. I gave birth to two wonderful children, and I don’t regret it. But my mother always said that my kids would become my burden, and I would have to bear it alone.

Meghan continues her story, saying, “One day, I couldn’t handle my ex-husband’s toxic behavior towards me and the kids anymore. The marriage was becoming dangerous for our mental health, so I had to run away. By then, he had turned into a real monster—suspicious, aggressive, and lazy. He never helped with the kids and only demanded I do what he wanted.

I ended up living at my parents’ house, taking only the kids and their most necessary things with me. I had no money or valuable possessions, and I was broken with two kids and empty pockets. My parents welcomed me into their house without criticizing my life choices and helped me recover from my post-divorce trauma.

I became a single mother because my ex refused to take care of the kids or pay child support. Since I left, he showed no interest in seeing or spending time with them. I decided the kids were mine, and I would be both their mom and dad, doing everything I could to raise them well.

Meghan thought she could fully rely on her parents, but that was a mistake.

Meghan continues, “I put all my time and effort into finding a good job that could support us financially. I found a dream job that allowed me to work from home without commuting. The job was interesting and perfect for my skills. I started working immediately, taking on extra work and spending almost all my time working. My kids’ well-being was my motivation, so even after working 12 hours or more, I didn’t feel tired. I began to earn a nice income and started saving to buy our own house. My parents babysat my kids, and I spent time with them during work breaks.

I thought my life was getting better. I planned to save enough money in two years, and all I needed was my parents’ help with the kids. I even offered to pay them for babysitting, and they agreed. I shared the bills with them and paid an extra $500 monthly for their help. Everyone was happy until one day when my mom decided to break our agreement completely.

Meghan’s parents refused to babysit her kids and insisted she change her life plans.

Meghan continues, “Recently, my mother angrily told me she was fed up with babysitting. She had never complained before, so her sudden outburst shocked me. I asked what was wrong, and she said she was tired of me and my kids. She blamed me for having them and said they were a burden for the whole family.

I wished I was deaf at that moment because of all the nasty things my mother said. She told me I had to work part-time and change jobs. She insisted I work in an office to ‘socialize and meet a decent man.’ She also declared I could only work a set number of hours per day.

I was disappointed and dumbfounded by her sudden ultimatum. My mother knew all about my goals and plans. She knew I wasn’t going to work like this forever and that I was saving to support my kids and their needs. But she was tired and wanted me to change my plans immediately and start over.

Now, the situation in the family is very tense. I don’t know what to do with all my mom’s demands and ultimatums. I feel so dependent on her that I can’t breathe. What should I do?”