My ex and his wife have a newborn. Last night my 16-year-old daughter, Sari, who stays with them part-time, called crying because she’s been given the “night shift” with the baby. Her stepmom told her, “You can’t live here for free—you have to earn it.”
I was furious. Sari’s still a kid—she should be studying, seeing friends, and sleeping, not working unpaid nights just to have a bed. But yelling wouldn’t help.
So the next morning I showed up at their house unannounced with donuts and a polite smile. When Sari opened the door, she looked happy—then panicked. “Mom, please don’t cause a scene,” she whispered.
I walked in anyway. My ex, Colby, looked exhausted; his wife, Renna, held the baby. I set the donuts down and joked, “Heard there’s a new night-shift manager.”
Renna stiffened. Colby avoided my eyes.
I told Sari to grab her backpack—she was coming to stay with me. Renna objected, saying they had rules.
“Making a teenager do overnight baby care as rent isn’t a rule,” I said. “It’s exploitation.”
Colby tried to calm things down, but I pointed out Sari was failing classes from lack of sleep and afraid to refuse in case they kicked her out. I told Renna she wasn’t Sari’s mother and couldn’t guilt her into unpaid labor.
Then I told Colby Sari was staying with me for now. Surprisingly, he didn’t argue. She moved in that night, and I made her favorite pasta for dinner.