World · East Asia & Pacific · 8 hrs ago
Grandmother stops caring for toddler after dispute over screen-time rules
A working couple in South Korea relied on the wife's mother, who is in her 60s, to care for their 18-month-old child for 12 hours a day.
She also prepared dinner, and the couple paid her 1.2 million won a month.
The husband wanted the child to avoid sweets, snacks and videos, while the mother said her own mother sometimes used snacks or videos to get a brief rest.
When he came home early and saw the child watching YouTube and eating a snack, he scolded his mother-in-law over the rules.
She left in tears and said she would not return, leaving the couple without childcare; the wife says she is using her remaining leave from work.
The dispute highlights a clash between parents' screen-time rules and the practical demands of caring for a toddler all day.
Health guidance cited in the coverage recommends no screen time for 1-year-olds and limiting it for 2-year-olds, but the family has not said what childcare arrangement comes next.
A woman said her 60-year-old mother stopped caring for her 18-month-old child after a dispute with her son-in-law over screen-time and snack rules.
The grandmother had cared for the child for 12 hours each day and prepared dinner while the couple worked.
The husband objected after finding the child watching YouTube and eating a snack, saying the grandmother should follow the couple’s childcare rules.
The woman said her mother left in tears and would not return, leaving the couple without childcare.
The husband said they paid the grandmother 1.2 million won a month and suggested using a daycare centre and after-school carer instead.
- Who
- A working couple, their 18-month-old child, and the mother’s 60-year-old grandmother.
- What
- The grandmother stopped providing childcare after her son-in-law objected to the child watching YouTube and eating a snack.
- When
- The dispute happened recently, when the husband returned home earlier than usual. Exact date not stated.
- Where
- At the couple’s home in South Korea; the city is not stated.
- Why
- The husband said the grandmother should follow the couple’s rules because they paid her. The child’s mother said caring for the child all day made occasional videos or snacks understandable.
The husband
The child’s mother, A
Childcare rules
The husband
The husband said the grandmother should not give the child sweets or snacks or let the child watch TV or YouTube.
The child’s mother, A
A said it was difficult for her mother to care for an active toddler all day without using a video or snack at times.
Payment and criticism
The husband
The husband said the couple paid 1.2 million won a month and that the grandmother should follow their childcare rules.
The child’s mother, A
A said it was unreasonable to bring up the payment while criticizing her mother, who cared for the child for 12 hours and prepared dinner.
A post describing the dispute was shared on an online community.
The husband came home earlier than usual and found the grandmother giving the child a snack while a YouTube video played.
The grandmother left the home in tears and said she would not return.
A said she had no childcare arranged and was using her remaining annual leave.
- Child’s age
- 18 months
- Grandmother’s age
- 60s
- Daily childcare
- 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Monthly payment
- 1.2 million won
- Childcare arrangement
- The grandmother also prepared dinner for the couple
3 sources
What people are saying
My mother can only take a moment to breathe by putting on Pororo or giving the child one or two snacks.
I was only grateful to my mother because I understood how hard it was for her.
We are not giving you money for nothing; we are paying a fair amount, so why aren’t you following our childcare standards?
In that case, it would be better to send the child to daycare and hire someone to pick the child up.