Going to Grandma's House

After back to back trips to Florida and New Hampshire to visit the grandparents, my son's spoilage must be reigned in.

As parents, we desperately try to set rules and discipline accordingly at home. However, it seems, as soon as my son steps foot in grandma's house, all of "my" house rules fly out the window.

Perhaps its because I am more relaxed being "on" vacation and don't feel the need to be "on" my son for every little behavioral outburst. Then again it could be since my son is seeing his cousins, aunts and uncles that we only get to visit a few times a year that the crazy, silly behavior is more prevalent.

Only at grandma's house can the grandkids run wild with a permanent marker, throw balls at the ceiling fan and do flips off the couch without any repercussion.

Too difficult to watch. I sit there with my back turned away from all the activity. I hear laughter and then a "whoa! watch the lamp!" All the while, grandma sits there chuckling and remarking, "Aren't they cute!"

Cute maybe, but this silly destructive behavior isn't acceptable to me, however, what's a mom to do when grandma doesn't care and won't say no?

Is this total disregard of boundaries and discipline confusing to children? I explain to him that just because he is able to do something at grandma's house doesn't mean it is okay to do it at our house.

While I know it is grandma's god-given right to spoil and allow rules to be broken and since my son only gets to visit his grandparents a few times a year, I suppose I have to go with it and enforce "What happens at grandma's house, stays at grandma's house!"