Lisa Bunnage, Parenting Coach, discusses How do Parents deal with Teenage Bullying

Mom has inspired everything I’ve ever done not just because she was my mom, but because she possessed the one trait all of us search for and few find. She could find the joy in every moment. I was 14 when Dad died and after about 5 minutes of crying together she straightened up and said, “Weren’t we lucky to have him for all those years.” She simply refused to give in to despair or negativity. She’d had a tough life which formed her into this joy seeking missile who made everyone in her presence feel good about her AND themselves. She was a wonder and I’ll always strive to be half the woman she was.

It’s been almost 3 years since she died (not long after this picture was taken at 93!!!) and this is the first time I’ve looked at a picture of her. I feel it’s important for me to write this so you will understand why I started BratBusters. I wasn’t the master at finding the joy in every moment like she was, but I was the master at finding the joy in parenting. Mom used to say, “I’ve never seen anyone have so much fun with their kids yet still command respect. How do you do it?”

How did I do it? How did I chase the kids around the house with underpants on my head yet still command respect? When I asked them to do something, it was done. When I spoke, they listened. When I chased them, they giggled and ran. How do you mix it all together to truly find the joy in parenting?