Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

I couldn’t stop thinking about this interview with Jessica Joelle Alexander – and honestly, I haven’t stopped since! As a mom and as someone who teaches kids to cook and helps families connect around the table, I was deeply struck by how peacefully and intentionally Danish families seem to live: more play, less pressure; more “we,” less “me.”

In this episode of the podcast, I’m talking with Jessica Joelle Alexander, author of The Da...

In America, we tend to raise kids with a constant sense of striving. We measure success early, track milestones closely, and quietly worry about whether our children are doing enough, fast enough, and well enough.

The Danish approach offers a striking contrast. Instead of pushing children to prove themselves, Danish parenting emphasizes something far more grounded: helping kids rest well within themselves.

In this episode of the Heal...

Today’s teen tidbit is number five, and it gets right to the heart of what’s actually happening in your teen’s brain right now!

Somewhere around ages 11 or 12, kids move from a black and white way of thinking into a world full of gray, nuance, and questions, which is why “because I said so” suddenly stops working. (And honestly, that’s a good thing.) 

In this quick episode, we’ll talk about why teens are wired to push boundaries agai...

In this Teen Tidbit, I share how the kitchen is one of the most powerful places to pass on family values through working side by side toward a common goal. Cooking together naturally opens up conversation and creates opportunities to model what matters most, whether that is serving others, being good stewards of our resources, or choosing real food as part of daily life. 

I talk about how asking teens to cook foods they may not pers...

As a continually recovering perfectionist myself, I share why that drive to do everything just right can actually hold kids back from starting, trying, and growing. We’ve all heard “progress over perfection,” but I wanted to explore what that really looks like in everyday life, especially for teenagers who can freeze up when things don’t feel exact or guaranteed.

The kitchen, in my opinion, is one of the best places to practice lett...

In this Teen Tidbit, I dive into why agency is such a powerful (and often overlooked) developmental need for teenagers. Agency is really the combination of having choices and having the skills to act on those choices, which together give teens real options in life. 

I’ve intentionally woven this into the Teens Cook Real Food course, sometimes in ways that feel a little chaotic, like cooking multiple versions of the same recipe at on...

Get in on the free parenting series on parenting teens here: https://raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenvids

In this Teen Tidbit episode, I share why passing on ownership of health, time, and responsibility to our teens matters so much, especially through teaching real-life skills like cooking. After hearing from a beta test mom whose 13-year-old confidently made pancakes on his own, I explain that ownership has two parts: practical ski...

In the last episode, we made it through step 3 of the 5 steps to meal planning on a budget! 

Now let's dive into steps 4-5. I am collaborating with two of my most frugal friends who are GREAT cooks to compile 5 steps to meal planning on a budget, merging both requests of our families of teens.

May I introduce you to Tiffany of Don’t Waste the Crumbs and Steph of Cheapskate Cook, who never cease to amaze me with their ability to ...

We just celebrated 10 years of teaching kids to cook online, which honestly feels surreal. It still feels like yesterday that we were filming the very first lessons, crossing our fingers, and wondering if anyone would even want this.

Fast forward a decade and nearly 20,000 families served, and the answer is clear. This work matters. It is changing kitchens, confidence levels, and family dynamics in real ways.

Over the years, parents ...

Somewhere between “I can do hard things” and “Can you order for me?” is a whole lot of teen growth waiting to happen.

Arthur C. Woods has spent decades working with teens, and he brings a refreshingly practical take on leadership that starts way earlier than a title, a team captain badge, or a future resume. We talk about why teens are more capable than we think, why they are not always being challenged to prove it, and how everyday...

Way back when my husband and I were new-ish parents, he read a headline that talked about parents being "bone tired" at the end of the day.

For years, we referred to that phrase: "We're BONE TIRED. Parents are all BONE TIRED." (Put a little lilt and emphasis on "bone" and you can hear us in your head now.)

As it turns out, Dr. Evan Hirsch would recommend that we stop with those negative thoughts, be...

Have you ever blown up at your kid because they’re melting down?

Just wanted their bad behavior to STOP because you feel like a bad parent if it doesn’t?

Committed that you would parent differently than your parents, but see some cycles repeating you don’t like?

My guest today is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has seen a lot of hurting and struggling families in her decade-plus working with clients, and she brings some o...

When your podcast guest says, “Our goal as parents is to raise up these self-sufficient, independent people someday,” you know she’s in the right place!

Diane Boden and I talk all about her journey to minimalism and the intentional mindset she’s fostered over the last 14 years.

It’s not just about the “stuff” but about experiences, relationships, schedules, and even goals.

We dig into all that and more in this encouraging interview!

Re...

My guest today is 17-year-old Abdullah Ansari, and listening to him talk about teen health, food, stress, tech, and purpose made my jaw drop more than once. Not because he sounded rehearsed or polished. But because he sounded awake in a way most adults are still struggling to be.

He talks about teen health like it is urgent. Because it is. He talks about food like it is power. Because it is. And he talks about freedom in a way that ...

Coughs, Flu and School Germs, oh my!

If cold-and-flu season causes tremors in your heart but you hate the idea of using over-the-counter drugs on your kids just to get through the night, I have great news: The bees got your back.

Carly from Beekeeper’s Naturals joins us today to share about the power of nature – she will feed your science geek brain and share SO many practical ideas and uses for bee products (bet you’ve never even he...

We’re lonely!

It’s hurting us!

And we’re not very good at connecting with other humans.

Heather MacFadyen is here to help. Author and podcaster of Don’t Mom Alone, she’s all about building connection to help moms do their jobs better.

“Loneliness can be when you’re with others but not feeling truly known,” she said in this encouraging interview. We talk about the 3 kinds of relationships moms need to nurture, how to shed the unattainab...

If you’ve ever felt that homeschooling can slip into a checklist of math pages and grammar drills, you’ll love this conversation. Pam Barnhill, a veteran homeschooling mom of over 15 years, reminds us what education can truly be: a chance to connect deeply with our kids and nurture a lifelong love of learning.

Resources We Mention for Homeschool Routines 

• Get Pam’s free Advent Morning Time Plans
• Check out her books: Gather; Better...

The very morning I did this interview, my husband was complaining about how badly he felt because of a certain number...and when I heard Heidi's final "practical" challenge to parents, I knew we had to do it. This interview was a HUGE paradigm shift for me, and you will alternately want to turn it off as it gets challenging and find yourself cheering out loud!

Heidi Schauster, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S is an expert on eating d...

The holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year ... or the most overwhelming. Between the excitement, the sugar, the schedule changes, and the constant stimulation, even the calmest kids can start to unravel. And let’s be honest, parents can too!

In this episode, I sat down with JoAnn Crohn, a former school teacher who’s now on a mission to help overwhelmed moms rediscover joy and raise healthier, happier families. She has a...