MIL threw herself a 'grandma shower' and insisted on keeping the baby so Mom could 'rest' — only to hand her a task list for Dad’s paternity leave
'He can come bond with me while you rest and take care of Mathew during his paternity leave,' the mother-in-law said to Elsie
Most expecting or new moms appreciate a little help from family. But when pregnant mom Elsie, who goes by @simplyelsieb on TikTok, received an invitation to a “grandma shower” from her mother-in-law, she soon discovered that the celebration came with some unexpected expectations. Now, at first glance, you may think her mother-in-law was actually doing her a favor by caring for the baby so Elsie could rest. But wait until you see her mother-in-law's insane demand. On August 25, 2026, the mom-to-be shared a screenshot of a message from her partner's mom, Susan, expecting Elsie to take care of her husband while he was on paternity leave. The post has received 2.8 million views online.
The babysitting pitch
Susan, the MIL, first sent her daughter-in-law, Elsie, a digital invitation to a “grandma shower.” Confused, Elsie asked her about it, and Susan said that she wanted to celebrate her new role before her grandchild arrived. "This is my first grandbaby and is a very big deal for me. I deserve to be celebrated," she told Elsie. Susan also shared that she had prepared a nursery to celebrate the baby's birth. "He can come bond with me while you rest and take care of Mathew during his paternity leave," she added. This shows how easily Susan ignored post-delivery stress and expected her daughter-in-law to take care of her partner instead.
Grandparent drama is real
Elsie’s experience is just one fragment of the vast dynamic at play in American families. According to a press release, nearly half of the parents reported having disagreements with one or more grandparents over parenting. Similarly, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health survey found that 15% reported major disagreements when grandparents agreed to change, but they didn't, and 25% reported conflicts when grandparents outright refused to change. As Elsie also experienced, these difficult dynamics often take a toll on the marital relationship and add unnecessary stress and tension to the new mom.
For instance, data cited by Systematic Reviews suggests that loneliness is highly prevalent among pregnant women and new moms, approximately 32% to 42%. Similarly, statistics cited by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth indicate that 17% of women suffer from perinatal anxiety and 84% from perinatal stress. Such stress can also affect maternal well-being and pregnancy outcomes, making support particularly important during the transition to parenthood.
'Let the new mom shine'
Meanwhile, viewers were jolted to the edge of their seats after seeing the grandma pretending to do a favour for the to-be-mom by asking her to take care of her husband after her baby came out. For instance, @feedmeseamore commented, “Grandmas that act like this are so scary to me, like, no, you had your time, let the new mom shine, and you’ll know when you are needed.” Similarly, @trollinandhatin said, “Why does she think the baby would be spending the first few weeks of their lives at grandma's? It makes no sense.” @breanna_marie added, “The way I would've blocked her immediately. I wouldn't have even entertained that, honestly.”
You can follow Elsie (@simplyelsieb) on TikTok to catch up on her latest videos.
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