We got our green cards in 2010 when she was 2 years old. The sole reason was to take care of her — and subsequently her brother, who was born in 201

I moved across the world to live with my son and daughter-in-law. It was a sacrifice, but I wanted to help with childcare.

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2024-10-16 23:30:04

We got our green cards in 2010 when she was 2 years old. The sole reason was to take care of her — and subsequently her brother, who was born in 2012.

We decided to leave our native country after one particularly fraught phone conversation with our only child, my son, who had settled in the US for work after graduating from college in India.

"Mom, I need your help," he said. He and my daughter-in-law had full-time jobs and were under much stress juggling careers and parenting.

They'd employed a nanny, but it didn't work out. When you're in a high-stress profession, you don't want to keep dashing home from work to fill in the gaps in childcare. You need support and a buffer.

"I'm his mom," I thought. "Even though he's grown up now, it's my responsibility to look after him and the rest of his family."

I didn't consider the consequences of leaving my old life behind. It just felt like the right thing to do. In India, it's relatively common for generations to live together, and everybody does their bit to help out.