10 Refuse to dole out any discipline.
Similarly, few parents can stomach when grandparents refuse to discipline their grandchildren whatsoever. While it may not be appropriate for grandparents to issue punishments a child’s parents haven’t explicitly deemed okay, letting kids have free rein with no consequences can quickly turn a good relationship between parents and grandparents into a highly contentious one.
“Explain how it can mentally and physically run you down as a parent when the child comes home with broken boundaries. Many times, grandparents will try harder to respect your rules when you address them in this manner,” says Dr. Kulaga. “That being said, allow the grandparent some flexibility and fun still to spoil their grandchild.”
