I Tasted Grandson's Food, Fined $100,000, I Smiled

The day my grandson was born, my daughter-in-law, Katherine Manning, taped a booklet to the refrigerator door. Elderly Childcare Rules.

Fifty-two of them.

Disinfect three times before holding the baby. Report in advance before entering the nursery. Never taste the baby's food on your own.

Each violation carried a fine, anywhere from five hundred to a hundred thousand dollars.

I told myself she was just a nervous new mother, and for three years I gave way at every turn. Not only did I care for the child and keep house for free, I poured out my entire pension doing it.