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.

I lost my precious Mom in 2016. 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 joy in every moment like she was, but I was the master at finding 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?

The answer is simple: You meet their needs and manage their wants. The trick is finding the balance.

BratBusters is all about sharing this knowledge and these skills with parents. I want other parents to not just enjoy parenting, but to raise kind, confident, happy children. I started BratBusters in 2007. I have been regularly featured on TV shows, radio programs, parenting magazines, newspapers and on many parenting websites. I use humour to get my point across but I take parenting very seriously.  Parenting is the most important job in the world. It is the job of raising the adults of the future.