Many people say I’m hot-tempered and impatient, but perhaps only those who’ve been in my shoes can truly understand. That night, after seeing what was happening at home through the security camera, I was so upset that I couldn’t continue my vacation!

Here’s the whole story.

It was late summer, and my husband and I had planned this getaway for over a month. We wanted some time to relax after months of hard work and nonstop parenting. We hadn’t gone on a trip alone in three years.

Since we wanted some quality time together, we decided not to bring our 3-year-old daughter along. Instead, we asked my mother-in-law to come up from her town in Florida to help take care of her. She kindly agreed. My daughter is a fairly easygoing child at this age; all she needs is someone to feed her, play with her toys, and put her to bed.

After getting everything in order, we excitedly headed to the airport to begin our long-awaited vacation. It was supposed to be a dream trip, but by the second day, something happened that made me cut the trip short and insist on returning home that very night.

To be honest, even though we were away, I was still worried about how my daughter and mother-in-law were managing. This was the first time my husband and I had been away from her for so long.

Normally, my daughter is cheerful and well-behaved, so when we left, she seemed fine, happily playing with her toys as we said goodbye. Seeing her in such a good mood reassured us.

But that night, when I checked the home security camera, my heart sank. My daughter was sitting by the front door, crying quietly with tears streaming down her face. I could tell she was waiting for us to come home. She had finally realized we weren’t around, and it broke my heart to see her like that.

What shocked me even more was seeing my mother-in-law sitting calmly on the couch, watching TV. She didn’t seem to care about her granddaughter’s distress. Through the camera, I could hear my daughter pleading:

“Grandma, I want Mom and Dad! Please take me to find them!”

To my dismay, my mother-in-law simply replied, “You’re 3 years old now—stop whining. Your parents will be back in a few days. For now, you’re staying with me, and I won’t spoil you like they do. Cry all you want; I’m not going to comfort you. You’ll tire yourself out and sleep soon enough.”

I watched, horrified, as my daughter continued crying, while my mother-in-law remained indifferent. At that moment, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I told my husband to pack our bags, and we booked a flight home that night.

We arrived home in the middle of the night. My daughter was asleep, likely from exhaustion after crying so much. Seeing her peaceful face made my heart ache even more.

The next day, I planned to talk to my mother-in-law. I felt she had been too harsh. My daughter is only 3 years old, and her treatment could have lasting effects on her emotional well-being. I believe any mother in my position would feel the same heartbreak and would have made the same decision I did.