This morning I went into my daughter's room to finding her jumping happily on her bed.  I thought it was a little strange since she is well aware that I absolutely do not allow jumping on furniture or beds!  

So, I calmly say, "Honey, why are you jumping on your bed?" To which she replies, "Daddy lets me jump on the bed whenever I WANT!!"

Oh, the joys of having my children come home from visitation with their dad.  When we were married, jumping on the bed wasn't allowed...I guess that was my rule, and not his.  

Either way, any divorced parent who deals with child visitation knows that the return of your children from a visit with their non-custodial parent can be a time of transition and sometimes, extreme frustration for you!

What's a patient parent to do? I call it reprogramming, and while it's not ideal, it has to be done!

I've learned, at least with my kids, that they know the difference between "moms rules" and "dads rules."  They might pretend they don't, but very young children know the difference.  For our family, the key has been to get our kids back into their regular routine as quickly as possible.

For more tips on child visitation and getting your kids back into your routine, read my article listed at the top of the page.