So your kids are headed to their grandparents for the weekend.
If it was a babysitter watching them, you'd whip out the rule book and make sure every standard and expectation stays exactly the same.
But, when it's your own parents (or your in-laws) should this still be the case?
Should you give them a set of rules?
They did raise you pretty well, didn't they?
That's pretty much where Justin Worsham of The Dad Podcast stands.
"Once when I was on the road doing stand up, I had a couple come up to me and say, "I wish our daughter could come see your show, they just had a baby and would totally relate.” She then proceeded to tell me how she couldn’t take the kids because her daughter didn’t feel comfortable leaving them with her and when she watched the baby for even a few hours, it came with a list of instructions. For the grandparents this is sort of insulting.
I have to admit we felt that way about my in-laws because of their age. But when my parents watch our kids they take them for a couple of weeks and we don’t even call to check in. Mostly because my sister always did and it frustrated my parents.
Being a grandparent is the best parent. You can take care of the kid and have all the fun without the worry of responsibility. That’s how my dad explained it to me.
And my kids do crazy things there. Like shoot guns, throw things in a campfire, make s'mores, and when they eat all the marshmallows in their cereal my mom gives them a handful of mini-marshmallows. To me that is what grandparents are supposed to be. They get to be a fun educational influence with no pressure. Just joy. It can be an important ingredient in the recipe of childhood."
Read the full story at The Washington Post
To hear more of Justin's take on giving grandparents rules when watching your children, and other parenting topics, you can check out all of his stuff at The Dad Podcast
Check out his latest episode with Jessica Winther about giving yourself some slack when parenting, and how your relationship changes when you kids get older.