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 still dealing with tantrums, arguments, hoarding, sibling fights, or shame-spirals.

I’ll share real stories from recent client sessions, including:

• A child who hoarded toys from cousins and melted down when gently “reasoned with”

You’ll hear how Sustainable Parenting blends Kind and Firm Parenting — boundaries, leadership, AND warmth — so your kids finally relax, cooperate, and feel safe.

If you want Raising Resilient Kids, Raising Confident Kids, and Parenting Without Yelling, this episode will help you discover the missing link that gentle parenting didn’t teach you.

Join me as we rebuild your parenting toolbox with dependable calm… and a plan that actually helps your kids listen — even during the holidays.

✨Want more?

✨Black Friday Savings: The Calm Cooperation Toolkit & Emotional Resilience Toolkit (BIG SAVINGS):

✨Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have. Together, we'll make a plan for your best next steps to have more calm & confidence in parenting - while having kids that listen!:)

✨NEW✨ pdfs and short video lessons on Respect, Bedtimes, Power Struggles and More: ON ETSY!

✨ Download the FREE pdf. on getting kids to listen, for strategies that take you out of the "gentle mom - monster mom" cycle, with effective positive parenting strategies.

✨ Sign up for an upcoming LIVE ONLINE workshop with Flora, or purchase a past replay: https://sustainableparenting.com/workshop where you get 30 min. of learning and 30 min. of LIVE Q & A time, with replays sent afterwards.

✨ Buy a 3 session Coaching Bundle (saving you $100) ...

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 helps kids listen far more easily.

Inside this episode, you’ll hear:

• What defiance really looks and sounds like in ages 3–10

• Why gentle parenting can accidentally slip into permissive parenting

• My simple 3-step “Calm → Connect → Direct” script that works without yelling or endless explaining

• How to validate feelings while still holding firm boundaries

• How to use when/then statements and two-choice follow-throughs to stop power struggles

• The easiest way to avoid lecture loops and over-talking

• Three real-life scenarios (bedtime, leaving the park, sibling fights) with the exact words I use in my own home and with clients

If you’re craving Positive Parenting Strategies that actually work in the heat of the moment — not just in theory — this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

You’ll walk away with tools for:

• How to Get Kids to Listen,
• Parenting Without Yelling,
• Gentle Discipline,
• Kind and Firm Parenting,
• Positive Discipline,
• Raising Resilient Kids.

Press play and discover how a simple shift and a simple script can transform the hardest moments into calmer, more connected ones.

✨Want more?

✨ Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have. Together, we'll make a plan for your best next steps to have more calm & confidence in parenting - while having kids that listen!:)

✨NEW✨ pdfs and short video lessons on Respect, Bedtimes, Power Struggles and More: ON ETSY!

✨ Download the FREE pdf. on getting kids to listen, for strategies that take you out of the "gentle mom - monster mom" cycle, with effective positive parenting strategies.

✨ Sign up for an upcoming LIVE ONLINE workshop with Flora, or purchase a past replay: https://sustainableparenting.com/workshop where you get 30 min. of learning and 30 min. of LIVE Q & A time, with replays sent afterwards.

✨ Buy a 3 session Coaching Bundle (saving you $100) - for THREE 30-min sessions 1:1 with ME, where we get right to the heart of your challenges, and give you small, powerful shifts that make a huge difference f...

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 words — and gain practical Positive Parenting Strategies you can use today to help your kids listen more and argue less.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why reasoning and explaining often backfire when kids are upset
• How silence and calm presence soothe the brain faster than words
• What “Kind and Firm Parenting” looks like in real moments of chaos

Parenting doesn’t have to be a 20-minute negotiation.
Tune in to learn how to stop power struggles, calm big feelings, and guide your child with confidence — without yelling or over-explaining.

✨Want more?

✨Black Friday Savings: The Calm Cooperation Toolkit & Emotional Resilience Toolkit (BIG SAVINGS):

✨Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have. Together, we'll make a plan for your best next steps to have more calm & confidence in parenting - while having kids that listen!:)

✨NEW✨ pdfs and short video lessons on Respect, Bedtimes, Power Struggles and More: ON ETSY!

✨ Download the FREE pdf. on getting kids to listen, for strategies that take you out of the "gentle mom - monster mom" cycle, with effective positive parenting strategies.

✨ Sign up for an upcoming LIVE ONLINE workshop with Flora, or purchase a past replay: https://sustainableparenting.com/workshop where you get 30 min. of learning and 30 min. of LIVE Q & A time, with replays sent afterwards.

✨ Buy a 3 session Coaching Bundle (saving you $100) ...