When my mother-in-law, Jean, offered to take my kids for a holiday break, I thought it was harmless—a chance for some bonding and a break for me. I gave her $1,000 for expenses, expecting a fun week for the kids. But when I picked them up, something felt off. The house was eerily quiet, and when I found my kids in the backyard, they were exhausted and covered in dirt, having spent the week working in the garden instead of having fun.
Jean admitted she’d used the money for personal expenses, putting my kids to work to save money. Furious, I confronted her. She tried to justify it as a lesson in hard work, but I knew it was wrong. I took my kids and left, vowing never to return until Jean learned to respect them as children, not tools for her own needs.
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