BratBusters Parenting Podcast · Lisa Bunnage

Too Late to Fix Your Parenting? (Changing Your Ways)

·23 min·2 clips

Lisa reveals that when you yell at your kids, they take it out on themselves, not you.

Lisa Bunnage, a parenting coach and grandmother, hosts the BratBusters Parenting Podcast with her daughter Amy to answer listener questions about discipline and behavior. This episode addresses whether it's too late to change your parenting approach, especially with older children. Lisa asserts it is never too late, though change requires more effort as both parent and child become set in their ways. She answers a question from Jenny, who has a five-year-old daughter with frequent meltdowns over plans changing. Lisa advises ignoring tantrums completely, then immediately reconnecting once the child calms down, and estimates consistency for three to six weeks should show results. Another parent, Dana, feels guilt for yelling at her four- and nine-year-old daughters; Lisa states yelling causes children to internalize blame and hate themselves, not the parent. She recommends putting "no yelling" on a behavior board and performing a bonding activity as a self-imposed consequence. Mick writes about his 11-, 10-, and nine-year-old stepchildren whose behavior has declined over two years; Lisa suggests starting fresh with her free behavior board system instead of analyzing past mistakes. Susanna from Sweden has a 33-month-old son with destructive tantrums and a cat he abuses; Lisa urgently advises rehoming the cat and using the toddler section of the free behavior board resource. She contrasts three parenting styles: the "pleaser" parent creates entitled, unhappy children; the "authority" parent breeds future rebellion; while the "leader" parent inspires cooperation without rebellion. A memorable anecdote involves Lisa's children at a checkout; they never asked for treats, so when she surprised them with a small gift, they were genuinely grateful rather than entitled. She also shares that her teenage son once told her he "could never even rebel" because she was too reasonable to rebel against. Lisa emphasizes that connection after discipline—like asking to play—makes a child feel valued far more than empty praise does. The tone is direct and instructional, blending personal anecdotes with actionable steps in a conversational style between mother and daughter. Parents struggling with child tantrums, guilt over yelling, or blended family dynamics will find specific strategies here. Listeners seeking a permissive, child-led parenting philosophy or those who prefer to extensively discuss children's emotions may find the advice too rigid or dismissive of their preferred methods.

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