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For cycle-breaking parents who still face battles at bedtime and beyond, Sustainable Parenting teaches tools that actually change behavior when gentle parenting doesn't work.
If your 6-year-old ignores you, your toddler screams over a broken banana, and bedtime still ends in tears—it’s not you, it’s the gentle parenting advice that’s failing you.
Research shows 1 in 3 parents who try gentle parenting still end the day begging kids to listen and blaming themselves when the scripts don’t stop the tantrums. So unlike other podcasts that only tell you to “stay calm” or “validate feelings” while your toddler is throwing dinosaurs at your head, here you’ll get strategies to set limits kids respect without crushing their spirit so they grow into kind, confident humans, and you finally feel like the calm, in-control parent you want to be.
I’m Flora McCormick—a counselor, parenting coach, and mom of two. After 20 years helping families worldwide, I’ve helped thousands of parents raise confident kids while practicing parenting without yelling or shame. Parenting will always have hard moments, but raising respectful, emotionally healthy kids doesn’t have to be a constant battle.
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Popular Topics Include: Bedtime battles, Positive discipline, Gentle discipline, Gentle Parenting, Parenting differences, Discipline without yelling, Positive parenting strategies, Raising confident kids
143 Episodes
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What if owning less could help you parent with more calm, confidence, and connection? In this episode of the Sustainable Parenting Podcast, Flora McCormick sits down with Joshua Becker of Simplify Magazine to explore how minimalism supports dependable calm, and deeper relationships with ourselves and our kids. We talk about how clutter quietly fuels stress, power struggles, and yelling — and how simplifying your home can become one of the most effective positive parenting strategies for more ...
What do we do when our kids are disrespectful — they aren't listening, and they have attitude — and it starts draining the life out of us? This week on the Sustainable Parenting Podcast, I’m joined by my husband for a candid, coffee-on-the-couch conversation about disrespectful behavior in kids, the number one frustration I hear from dads in parent coaching. Together, we explore why this issue sparks so many power struggles, how moms and dads often experience it differently, and what’s really...
What if setting family goals didn’t feel overwhelming—or like one more thing to get right? In this episode, I’m sharing a gentle, realistic approach to setting family goals for 2026 that offer direction without pressure and intention without perfection. Instead of rigid resolutions or systems that fall apart by February, we talk about how families can choose a shared target—and allow the path there to flex as life unfolds. You’ll learn: Why family goals work best when they function as a compa...
Screens often show up as gifts—but they come with big questions. In this episode, we talk honestly about kids’ tech, family values, and how to decrease those overwhelming tantrums over tech. If you’re focused on raising confident kids while keeping tech in its place, this episode will support you. If you have struggled to know where to set boundaries on tech, this will give you those clear guardrails. By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn: Why boredom supports creativity...
Power struggles don’t end because we find the perfect argument; they end because someone helps the room feel safe again. We unpack a practical, science-backed shift from control to connection that brings cooperation faster and with far less effort. Drawing on HeartMath’s research on heart coherence, Bruce Perry’s state-dependent brain science, and Ross Greene’s collaborative problem solving, we show how a calm presence, a softer voice, and a few validating words can lower defenses and i...
This week I’m diving into a spicy truth: Gentle parenting may be wrecking your holidays. Not because you weren’t patient enough… Not because you didn’t validate enough… But because the version of Gentle Parenting most parents try to use during holidays simply doesn’t work. In this episode, I break down why your Positive Parenting Strategies fell apart the minute your child got overwhelmed, overstimulated, or embarrassed — and why you ended up walking on eggshells while...
Do you ever find yourself thinking, “Why is she being so difficult?” If so, you’re in the right place — and you’re definitely not alone. I’m Flora McCormick, Licensed Professional Counselor and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant- and in this episode I’m sharing a powerful reframe that brings so much relief in those tough moments: Instead of asking “Why is she acting out?” shift to “What is she having a hard time with?” This one question changes the whole tone of the interaction and help...
If you’ve been trying so hard to stay calm, validate feelings, and reason with your child — but still end up in power struggles, meltdowns, or 20-minute debates about a broken banana — this episode is your breath of fresh air. Flora McCormick, LCPC — parenting coach, counselor, and mom of two — reveals the surprising missing piece that makes gentle parenting actually work: learning to talk less. You’ll hear a real client story of how one mom transformed morning battles simply by saying fewer ...
"My mom's a parenting coach and yes, it's annoying." Hear this, and more, in today's episode. Today my special parenting expert guest is... my daughter, Eva! This is a chance for you to hear how we talk through challenges, problem-solve, and think about ways to manage tough situations. In this episode, we explore how kind and firm parenting works, from the perspective of a 9-year-old. Eva shares a child’s-eye view of what works, why “Annoying but effective” limits help, a...
If you're having bedtime, out-the-door, or morning battles where your partner swoops in mid-meltdown, sending you into a rage, you’re not alone. In this episode, Flora McCormick, LCPC — parenting coach and host of the Sustainable Parenting Podcast — shares 3 simple Positive Discipline tools that help you end power struggles without yelling, shaming, or giving in. You’ll learn: ✨ How to use one powerful c-word to get your children to listen more quickly. ✨ How to reset ...
If nighttime currently feels like a hostage situation — tiny footsteps down the hall, endless requests for “one more kiss,” or a child who can only fall asleep if you stay glued to the side of their bed — you are so not alone. So many loving parents find themselves exhausted by bedtime battles, thinking, “I cannot have this battle right now. I’m done. I’m exhausted. Why does this have to be so hard?!” In this episode, Flora welcomes Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant Karen Winter of W...
Do you ever end the day feeling touched out, snappy, or like you’ve run a marathon no one saw you train for? This episode is your permission slip to stop trying to do it all. Flora McCormick, LCPC — parenting coach and host of the Sustainable Parenting Podcast — shares simple Positive Parenting Strategies to help you end your day calmly, without guilt or exhaustion. Instead of trying to be productive, present, and peaceful all at once (hello, burnout!), you’ll learn a gentle mindset sh...
Feeling exhausted from doing everything — the school snacks, the bedtime routines, the constant reminders — and ready to just burn the whole thing down? What if being a "Lazy Parent" was the key to more joy and ease?! Spoiler alert - I think it is!! In this week’s episode, I invite you into a surprisingly freeing mindset: Lazy Parenting. No, it’s not about neglect or indifference — it’s about choosing intentional calm over chaos (trying to keep up with Insta trends), and k...
Today we explore why toddlers hit, bite, and grab at playdates and how to respond without shame or panic...and with tools that will shift the behavior for real! Did you know - these challenging child behaviors are VERY common in the early years of development?! Research shows that these behaviors are actually very common in early childhood. Studies find that between 26% and 70% of toddlers show some form of physical aggression — hitting, biting, pushing, or scratching — depending on how...
Does your child suddenly “lose their hearing” the moment you ask them to pick up their shoes, come to the table, or turn off the tablet? You’re not alone—and you’re not going crazy. In this episode, we’ll unpack why kids pretend not to hear you and how to break the exhausting cycle of repeating yourself over and over. By the time you finish listening, you will know: Why kids really tune us out (and it’s not because they’re disrespectful).The “connect before you direct” approach that makes kid...
Tired of repeating yourself 14 times a day, only to explode when your kids don’t listen? You’re not alone. In this episode, Flora McCormick, founder of Sustainable Parenting, shares the #1 tool most gentle parents overlook—and why it’s the secret to parenting without yelling and finding calm in the chaos. After listening, you’ll discover: Why inconsistency fuels tantrums, testing, and power struggles.How predictability calms your child’s nervous system (and yours).Simple scripts and routines ...
Does bedtime ever feel like the longest part of your day? You’re exhausted, ready for some peace, but your child suddenly transforms into a master negotiator—asking for just one more kiss, one more drink of water, or one more story. If you’ve ever felt torn between wanting to meet those sweet requests and desperately craving your own downtime, this Sustainable Parenting episode is for you. In today’s conversation with Flora McCormick, LCPC and sleep expert Matthew Wellington, we unpack the 5 ...
Ever felt that twinge of guilt when you consider taking time away from your family to pursue a hobby? You're not alone. As a mother of two and lifelong dancer, I recently found myself questioning whether my dance performances were worth the disrupted bedtimes and occasional complaints from my nine-year-old daughter. But what if those personal pursuits aren't selfish at all? What if they're actually essential to your BEST parenting, even? In this episode, I flip the script and share three su...
Ever notice how you're stuck in a cycle of constant reminders with your kids? You’re telling them to pack their lunch, grab their cleats, finish their homework—yet you’re torn between enjoying feeling needed and resenting this never-ending role. In this episode of Sustainable Parenting with Flora McCormick, we explore the powerful shift from being a micromanaging parent to a coaching parent. You’ll learn how to move from constant control into Positive Parenting Strategies that help kids build...
Tired of forcing your kids to say “I’m sorry,” only to have the apology come out flat, fake, or sarcastic? Do you find yourself insisting on the “right tone” until you are blue in the face, or even yelling at your child - and all the while the kid doesn't really seem to care? Here's the deal, friend. Most of the time, I've found apologizing doesn’t actually teach kids responsibility. It just teaches them how to act like they feel bad. In this episode of the Sustainable Pare...
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