Finding Gratitude in the Challenge: A Thanksgiving Reflection on Parenting and Youth Behavioral Health

With Thanksgiving this week, many of us will gather around tables to share what we're grateful for. Over the past year, I've had the privilege of witnessing hundreds of parents transform their relationships with their children and their families through our parenting programs. What has struck me the most, is the look on parents’ faces when they share that things are finally getting better at home, a mix of relief, disbelief, and hope. Those expressions say more than any data point ever could. I’m grateful to witness these moments.

The Gift of Parent-Led Change

When we equip and empower parents with proven behavioral strategies, that’s when we really see consistent and meaningful outcomes.

Why? Because parents are there for the thousands of small moments that shape a child's development. They are there at breakfast, at bedtime, during homework struggles, and in the car ride to school. When parents have the right tools and support, they can create lasting change in ways that even the most skilled therapist, seeing a child for an hour each week, simply cannot.

Two stories from our parenting groups this year genuinely blew my mind.

The first was a grandmother who, after 40 years of focusing on the negatives, began praising not only her grandson but also her adult child, for the very first time. The shift in her voice, and her family was unforgettable.

The second came from a couple who had been practicing praise consistently at home. Everything improved, less conflict, more connection. But what surprised them most was a call from their child’s teacher, telling them how sweet their son had been… because he had started praising her at school!

It’s hard not to get emotional listening to stories like these. They’ve been the highlight of my professional year and I am grateful to parents and families for sharing them.

A Different Kind of Support

This year, I'm also grateful for the opportunity to reimagine how we deliver mental health support to families. Through telehealth and group-based parent training, we're able to reach more families, faster, and at a fraction of the cost.

But we haven't sacrificed quality for accessibility. Every family in our program works with licensed clinicians. And every parent receives the individualized support they need, through our AI coach Pat. Parents have guidance available in the moments that matter most. At 6am when they're trying to get everyone out the door, at 8pm during a homework meltdown, or at midnight when they're second-guessing their response to a challenging behavior. Pat doesn't replace the human connection and clinical expertise, but it extends that support. 

Looking Forward with Hope

As I think about what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving, I keep coming back to hope. Hope that we can meet families where they are. Hope that we can shift from a model of scarcity, where behavioral health support is hard to access and slow to deliver, to one of abundance, where parents get the help they need when they need it.

This Thanksgiving, whether your family is thriving or struggling, I encourage you to recognize your own power as a parent. You are the most important intervention your child will ever receive. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

Last, but not least, I am extremely grateful for the whole Parente team. Their commitment to our mission, and to the families we serve, continues to inspire me every day.

Dr. Eduardo Bunge is a psychology professor and co-founder of Parente, where he leads the development of evidence-based parent training programs to address the youth behavioral crisis. Connect with Eduardo or reach out directly at eduardo@parentehealth.com

Learn more about our 8-week behavioral parenting program parentehealth.com/programs.