Mother’s Day can stir up a lot, and not all of it is pretty. I’m opening my journal and letting you hear what early motherhood actually sounded like inside my head: the postpartum body changes I didn’t expect, the embarrassment I carried in silence, and the bone deep sleep deprivation that made every “simple” fix feel like a personal failure. If you’ve ever wondered why you feel overwhelmed even when you’re doing everything you can, you’ll feel seen here.

I also share how those old entries still connect to my life now, even as a licensed therapist and parenting coach. A tough moment with my 12 year old brings up that familiar fear of failing, and it reminds me why sustainable parenting can’t be built on perfectionism. We talk about the pain of trying strategy after strategy, from feeding and sleep to developmental worries, and how quickly a parent can start measuring their worth by outcomes they can’t fully control.

The turning point comes from Circle of Security and Raising a Secure Child: we don’t need perfect attunement to raise secure kids. “Good enough parenting” is real, research backed, and surprisingly low pressure, and the 30% idea can change how you speak to yourself on your hardest days. We also dig into what it means to stop hunting for the one right technique and start using parenting tools with confidence and inner wisdom.

If this helps, subscribe, share it with a parent who needs gentleness today, and leave a review with the part you related to most.

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✨JOIN me in an upcoming event: https://sustainableparenting.com/events

✨ Get my 3 KEYS to Calm, Confident Parenting (30 min. FREE webinar) - https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63640a05c74edb4b6bdce1f3

✨ 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 fast.

✨Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have about working with Flora.

✨Purchase a $19 short course on Etsy✨

Everyone’s talking about Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” philosophy… and honestly?

Parents might need it most. 👏

• Your child talks back.
• They stomp upstairs.
• They roll their eyes.
• They grumble about the boundary.

And every part of you wants to jump in with:

“How DARE you talk to me like that?!”

…but what if the better move is:

Let them.

• Not because disrespect is okay.
• Not because we’re permissive.
• But because we stop trying to control what we can’t control—their words, their feelings, their frustration.

And we shift back to what we CAN control:

• Our tone.
• Our boundary.
• Our follow-through.
• Our calm.

Sometimes the most powerful positive parenting strategy is saying less.

• A simple “hmm.”
• A calm look.
• Walking away.
• Holding the line without feeding the fire.

That’s kind and firm parenting.

That’s how we stop power struggles with kids.

That’s how we discipline without yelling.

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing how the “Let Them” tool can completely change backtalk, sass, and disrespect in your home—and yes… I somehow learned part of this lesson from puppy school 😂🐶

Listen to the newest episode of Sustainable Parenting 🎧

Have you tried “Let Them” in parenting yet?

By the time you're done listening, you’ll know:
• How to respond when kids are rude or sassy without back-talking back

• Why silence, calm, and fewer words often work better than lectures

• How to stop power struggles with kids using Positive Discipline

• The surprising lesson Flora learned from puppy school that changed everything

If gentle parenting has left you feeling walked on, this episode will help you find the middle ground—raising respectful, resilient kids with kindness and firmness at the same time.

✨Want more?

✨JOIN me in an upcoming event: https://sustainableparenting.com/events

✨ Get my 3 KEYS to Calm, Confident Parenting (30 min. FREE webinar) - https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63640a05c74edb4b6bdce1f3

✨ 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 fast.

✨Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have about working with Flora.

✨Purchase a $19 short course on Etsy✨

Ever threatened something ridiculous in the heat of a parenting moment… like canceling Christmas?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Sustainable Parenting Podcast, Flora McCormick shares a powerful shift that helps parents discipline without yelling, threatening, or escalating power struggles with kids.

After working with a dad of three who found himself regularly reaching for extreme punishments when his kids ignored him, Flora introduces a simple but transformative tool: Notice + Curiosity Questions.

Instead of commands like “Why can’t you just listen?”, you’ll learn how curiosity can help kids move into problem-solving mode and dramatically increase cooperation.

You’ll also learn:

• Why discipline is meant to teach—not punish
• How the “discipline pyramid” helps reduce constant consequences
• The common Coo-Coo Cycle parents fall into with commands and punishments
• How curiosity questions help stop power struggles with kids
• A powerful reflection tool (WWHD) that teaches kids what to do differently next time

If you’re looking for positive discipline strategies, gentle discipline tools, and realistic ways to get kids to listen without yelling, this episode will give you practical language you can start using today.

Because Sustainable Parenting is all about raising resilient, cooperative kids while staying a calm, confident parent.

✨Want more?

✨JOIN me in an upcoming event: https://sustainableparenting.com/events

✨ Get my 3 KEYS to Calm, Confident Parenting (30 min. FREE webinar) - https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63640a05c74edb4b6bdce1f3

✨ 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 fast.

✨Schedule a FREE 20 min clarity call with Sustainable Parenting, so we can answer any questions you may have about working with Flora.

✨Purchase a $19 short course on Etsy✨