Don’t ask for more
How would you feel if you'd recently helped someone out of a jam? Perhaps they were struggling to meet a financial obligation and you were in a position to help. After confirming how much they needed you gave them the money, no questions asked about what it was for, no expectation of it being repaid. Imagine your reaction if only a few hours later you were contacted by them with a request for more money! It would certainly dilute the warm feeling you got from having helped them out before. That would probably evaporate under a haze of disappointment, whilst wondering if you'd been used, perhaps questioning why you'd bothered! As such, the relationship could well be changed forever.
There are many situations in life that are not dissimilar. New grandparents are often thrilled to be asked to help out with childcare or babysitting, only to then find themselves so heavily relied upon that they can't make any plans, not even for a coffee or a lunch date with friends, without checking in first. Holidays have to be arranged months in advance. And often there's very little appreciation of their commitment. Because children are involved it may even be seen as a special honour for them to be fortunate enough to be so much a part of their grandchildren's lives. Some balance could be introduced by ensuring that grandparents are included in the fun times too. Not merely treated as unpaid babysitters.
