Raising children while caring for aging parents is pushing families to their limits. Between school runs, work,

and medical emergencies, unpaid caregiving is burning people out—and sparking tough conversations about what real support looks like.

Nancy, a 35-year-old single mom of three, shared her story.

Her 74-year-old mother, who once helped with childcare, had a fall and could no longer assist.

When her mom refused a nursing home, Nancy offered to care for her at home—but asked for financial compensation.

Her mother’s response: “I’m your mom—you owe me!”

That same night, Nancy’s oldest son called, panicked. A nursing home van arrived, summoned

by her mother herself. A moving truck followed, clearing out everything the mother had bought—including Nancy’s baby’s crib.

On the phone, her mother shouted, “You’re ungrateful! I helped for years. Now you’re tossing me aside!”

But Nancy disagreed. She wasn’t a nurse—just a stretched-thin mom doing her best. Love, she said, doesn’t pay bills or relieve burnout.

Her story reflects a painful question many face today: when does caregiving out of love become self-sacrifice without support?

And how do we honor both compassion and boundaries in families under strain?