How to cope when the kids bounce back from school

Many of the challenges faced by parents can be avoided if you follow these simple rules:

Avoid asking too many questions: Parents want to make sure there is a return on their college investment and are often anxious whether their children will land a job or have plans for graduate school. Students often feel that these conversations turn into interrogations, and everyone leaves unhappy.

Negotiate responsibilities: Some students act as if they are guests. They don't feel the need to do chores.

Establish boundaries: Life is different now, and parents often feel that they are walking on eggshells. One minute their kid is an independent soon-to-be college graduate, and the next they've regressed into childish, passive-aggressive behavior.

Don't bottle up negativity: Your best bet is to set the tone from the outset, make your expectations known and try to discuss issues openly.

Celebrate the upside: Once the dust settles, you'll enjoy spending time with your young adult children. Many parents say they enjoy the company of their grown up children in a way they never anticipated.

Guess what? You'll have to go through the whole "letting go" process again when they return to college.