Raising kids while caring for aging parents is overwhelming for many. One reader, Nancy, shared her story of setting boundaries—and the fallout that followed. Nancy, 35 and a single mom of three, had been caring for her 74-year-old mother, who lived with them rent-free and once helped with the kids.

After a serious fall left her mother unable to assist, Nancy offered continued care—if she was paid for her time. Her mother refused, saying, “I’m your mom—you owe me!”