Advertise on podcast: Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

Sometimes we just need a little mental shift, a small piece of knowledge, an encouragement to break a habit, or a new perspective. That’s my goal today! I want to break into the day-to-day habits that might not be serving your kids and help you make a SHIFT – either in your thinking, your dinner routine, or your language. I challenge you to set one tiny goal for your dinner table after listening, in one of these 3 areas: ScreensEmpathy/UnderstandingStarting the MealHere’s to small changes making a big impact—just like we do in the No More Picky Eating Challenge! You’ll learn new routines, pattern interruptions, and way more. And if you’re a reader or like to refer back to information time and again, grab a copy of The Picky Eater Playbook, my new book! Resources I Mentioned for Picky Eating Habits My free No More Picky Eating ChallengeBenefits of Family DinnersMy picky eating TEDx talkWhole chicken in the Instant PotBBQ chicken recipe for the slow cooker or Instant PotHomemade air-fryer chicken nuggetsOther good habits for the tableVibrant Blue Oils Parasympathetic blendCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I was asked a question on a podcast interview the other day that I’ve never been asked before – “WHY are there so many picky eaters these days?” It really does feel like it’s an epidemic, far different than our childhood. What gives? I have 4 theories as to the underpinnings, and those lend a hand to create a playbook to avoid picky eating in your own kids if they’re young enough to circumvent bad habits. That’s GREAT news with MUCH hope! I’m going to be unpacking a lot of habits, expectations, and attitudes that can banish picky eating power struggles from your mealtimes during the FREE 5-day No More Picky Eating Challenge. We’ve had thousands of families go through the challenge, committing to making one small change each day so that they never again have to say, “I just want my kids to eat what I make!” Save your Seat! It has to be said of course that there are many biological root causes to picky eating too, and we’ll dip our toe into that during the challenge as well. Or if you’re more of a reader—or have done the challenge before and want the information at your fingertips!—you can pre-order my book The Picky Eater Playbook. Along with all the strategies from the challenge, you also get all kinds of stories and examples from my family and other families I’ve worked with. More Resources to Tackle the Root Causes Behind Picky Eating My FREE picky eating challengeMy new book, The Picky Eater PlaybookRedefining a “kid’s meal”Raising successful adults with Julie Lythcott-HaimesUnderstanding your highly sensitive childReduce stress by raising resilient kidsSolve picky eating with the tiny salad trickThe importance of letting kids play with foodStrategies for kids with sensory processing disorderIs it picky eating or something deeper?Picky eating solutions using all 8 senses10 ways to get kids to eat more veggies with no tricks!Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What’s healthier for your child: a donut or a muffin? I know. That sounds like a trick question. And after decades of talking about real food at Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food, I certainly have some thoughts about the ingredients in both! But Dr. Dina Rose made an argument in this interview that stopped me in my tracks: From a habits perspective, sometimes the donut might actually have an advantage. Why? Nobody is pretending the donut is health food. A muffin, on the other hand, can easily become a cupcake without frosting that we’ve mentally filed under “healthy breakfast.” Even if we healthify it with whole grains, flaxseed, applesauce, or whatever else we can sneak in there, our kids are still learning something about what breakfast tastes like and what they expect to eat. That distinction gets right to the heart of my conversation with Dina. In part one, we talked about her three habits of healthy eating: proportion, variety, and moderation. Now we’re getting even more practical. How do we talk about candy without making it forbidden fruit? Should kids have to eat dinner before they get dessert? What do we do when a child announces, “I’m full!” at dinner and miraculously discovers a second stomach when dessert appears? And what about the picky eater who refuses even one tiny taste of a new food? Dina challenges us to stop making every bite of food carry so much emotional baggage. Instead, she gives parents structures that help kids understand what to expect, experience hunger and fullness, and explore unfamiliar foods without Mom or Dad hovering nearby thinking, “Please eat it. Please eat it. PLEASE EAT IT.” (Our faces never give us away, right?) This conversation challenged some of the language and rules we were using in my own home at the time. And once again, I walked away realizing that raising healthy eaters isn’t simply about getting the “right” foods into our kids today. We’re teaching them how to eat for the rest of their lives. Let’s dig into part two. Resources We Mention for Changing Eating Habits Dr. Dina’s book: It’s Not About the BroccoliMy video on “Growing Foods vs. Fun Foods”Don’t underestimate kids’ taste buds!Jump into the No More Picky Eating ChallengeCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

If you’ve ever bribed a child with dessert to get three more bites of broccoli into their mouth, this interview may mess with your head a little. In a good way. Because what if our intense focus on getting healthy food INTO our kids is accidentally teaching them some not-so-healthy habits about eating? When I first interviewed sociologist, parent educator, and feeding expert Dr. Dina Rose, her ideas challenged the way I thought about feeding my own kids. In fact, this conversation continues to influence how our family handles desserts and sweet treats today. Dina’s big idea sounds almost too simple: Healthy eating isn’t only about what kids eat. It’s about the habits they’re learning around food. That means we have to think beyond fruits, vegetables, protein, and all the other nutritional boxes we’re trying desperately to check before bedtime. Are our kids learning to recognize when they’re hungry and full? Are they learning to eat a variety of foods? Are sweets becoming rewards, comfort, or forbidden treasures? And are we accidentally creating power struggles because we’re so worried about getting those vegetables into them? Dina boils healthy eating down to three habits: proportion, variety, and moderation. And I have to tell you, thinking in terms of three habits instead of servings, nutrients, and “Did anyone eat something green today?” feels like a breath of fresh air. In this interview, we’ll dig into why focusing too heavily on nutrition can backfire, how kids’ taste preferences are shaped, why variety does NOT have to mean constantly serving new foods, and how sweets and treats can have a reasonable place in a healthy relationship with food. Some of Dina’s ideas challenged me when I first heard them. They still make me think. And I have a feeling you’ll have a few “Wait...what?” moments too. Let’s dig in. Resources We Mention for Changing Eating Habits Dr. Dina’s book: It’s Not About the BroccoliMy video on “Growing Foods vs. Fun Foods”Don’t underestimate kids’ taste buds!Get on the list for the next No More Picky Eating ChallengeCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

If part one of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray made you question what you thought you knew about hormones, buckle up. Part two goes even deeper. Dr. Gray is the author of The Hormone Blueprint, and she has spent years researching and working with women on hormones, thyroid health, metabolism, and hormone replacement therapy. And moms, this conversation is especially for us. We get incredibly practical about testing, what may actually be hiding inside hormone prescriptions, and why Dr. Gray believes women need a much more nuanced conversation about HRT, breast cancer, brain health, bones, and aging. We talk about: The hormone and thyroid tests Dr. Gray recommends women ask about, including one metabolic marker your doctor may not routinely checkWhy she says a “normal” lab result and an optimal result can be two very different thingsThe surprising inactive ingredients she found inside some hormone prescriptions, including dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients you might never think to look forWhy the way you take hormones matters, from pills and creams to patches and pelletsWhat happens when you wear an estrogen patch in a sauna. Yes, Dr. Gray actually researched this!The complicated relationship between HRT and breast cancer, including research Dr. Gray says challenges some long-held assumptionsWhy she believes women should consider not only the possible risks of taking hormones, but also the risks of going without themHow hormones may fit into the bigger picture of protecting our bones, brains, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and quality of life as we ageThere is a LOT here, and this is definitely an episode where you may want to grab a notebook, jot down questions, and bring them to a healthcare provider who understands hormone health. You can also print off the cheat sheet of the episode – grab it here!  Because “I guess feeling terrible is just part of getting older” is not a health plan. Here’s part two of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray. Resources We Mention for Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormone Testing Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn PikeMore about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and hereHow to start and keep with a new habitCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Were you scared away from taking hormone replacement therapy? I was. 100%! But this conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray may have changed my mind.  I’m 46, firmly in the “what is happening to my body and what is ABOUT to happen?” stage of life, and I had definitely absorbed the message that hormone replacement therapy was a Big Scary Decision. I couldn’t have explained the research. I couldn’t have named the famous study that scared so many women away from hormones. I just had this sense of, “Ooh, probably not for me. I’ll just eat my way to good health and keep my mobility, thankyouverymuch.” You know what I mean? That’s exactly why this conversation fascinated me. Dr. Stephanie Gray has been working with hormones for well over a decade, and she walked me through what actually happened with the research that shaped our cultural fear of hormone therapy, what she believes we got wrong, and some REALLY important distinctions that tend to get flattened into one little word: hormones. This one gets dense in the best possible way. We’re talking perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, delivery methods, heart health, brain health, metabolic health, and why the details matter enormously. Listen in to hear: Why the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study scared a generation of women away from hormone therapy, and the three major problems Dr. Gray sees with how that research was conductedThe surprisingly simple way to tell whether the hormone you’ve been prescribed is actually the same hormone your body makesWhy Dr. Gray says “progesterone” and “progestin” are NOT interchangeable words, even though they’re often treated that wayWhat oral estrogen has to do with the liver and clotting risk, and why the delivery method of a hormone mattersPatches, creams, pellets, lozenges, injections…oh my! How the options differ and why this definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all conversationWhy timing matters when women consider hormone therapy, especially around perimenopause and menopauseDr. Gray’s “healthy house” analogy for understanding estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones without needing a medical degreeThe connection she draws between declining hormones and four major health concerns as we age: cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic dysfunctionIf your entire understanding of hormone replacement therapy is basically, “Wasn’t there a study saying that was dangerous?” you are absolutely not alone. I was right there with you. This conversation gave me a LOT more questions to ask, which is exactly where I want to be when I’m making decisions about my health. Resources We Mention for HRT and Perimenopause Hormones Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn PikeMore about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and hereWomen build muscle differently – especially over age 30Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What should you do when your child is overwhelmed, melting down, refusing to cooperate, or acting like they cannot handle something you know they can do? In part two of this conversation, Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge explains how parents can help kids build a more regulated nervous system before, during, and after stressful moments. She shares why parents should regulate first, connect second, and correct only after a child is calm enough to think and learn. Here's part one if you missed it.  You’ll also learn why constantly rescuing kids from discomfort can prevent them from building stress tolerance, how to support a child without immediately fixing the problem, and why small daily regulation practices can make a big difference over time. Dr. Roseann shares a simple 4-7-8 breathing practice parents can use throughout the day to lower stress and build greater nervous system capacity! This is just one of at least 5 solid techniques Dr. Ro shares with us, things you can implement right away at home.  Don't forget to check out Dr. Roseann's new book, The Dysregulated Child. Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.Episodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for MomsWhat Is Nervous System Work, and Why Is It Important?Raising Kids Who Can Do Hard Things with Dr. Kathryn HechtTry the Stress Mastery Challenge for freeCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

When your child is melting down, refusing to listen, shutting down, or exploding over something small, their nervous system may be overwhelmed—not ready for more words or discipline. Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a longtime friend of mine and Raising Healthy Families, explains what happens in the brain when kids become dysregulated and why their ability to think logically can temporarily go offline. She shares how a child’s “stress cup” fills up, why parents and kids can co-regulate or co-dysregulate, and why your own nervous system is one of the most powerful parenting tools you have. You’ll also learn why the middle of a meltdown is usually the worst time to reason with your child, how to use a simple three-second “love pause,” and why regulation needs to come before teaching, correcting, or problem-solving. This episode gives parents practical ways to respond with fewer words, more calm, and a better understanding of what their child’s behavior may be communicating. If this episode hits a nerve, make sure you grab a copy of Dr. Ro’s new book, The Dysregulated Child. Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.Preventing nervous system wounds in your child with Ann OdomEpisodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for MomsTry the Stress Mastery Challenge for freeCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

In the previous episode, I talked about my first two philosophy shifts when it comes to how I feed my own kids and talk about picky eating. We dealt with the "no thank-you bite" and how/when to serve dessert. I'm truly grateful for the professionals who helped me change my thinking and my ways! Today, we'll dive into three other mindset changes I've had when it comes to feeding kids. The first has to do with introducing foods to babies, which isn't actually a part of The Picky Eater Playbook—but it's still something to consider and an important first step for parents! Then we will get into how our food looks (does it matter?) and briefly touch on kids who really WOULD starve themselves if they aren't served certain foods.  You'll learn: why I think eczema and food sensitivities might have been caused by Paul and Leah's first foodswhat first foods I think work best for babieswhy I started rethinking "you don't taste with your eyes" and how cute foods might actually be more appealing to childrenwhat working with 20,000 families taught me about my stance that kids will eat eventually, they won't starveand why the laid-back way I wrote The Picky Eater Playbook means you will probably be able to adapt it for your family!I'm outlining all the pre-order bonuses for you, too, so make sure to listen or watch to the end of the episode. I sure hope you'll think it's worthwhile to pre-order a copy of the book and delve into making dinnertime a more peaceful time for your whole family. You deserve that, Mom, and so do your kids! Get out of the chicken nugget and pizza rut. It CAN be better. Resources We Mention for Picky Eating Tips Pre-order The Picky Eater Playbook and get amazing pre-order bonuses!Nourishing first foods for babiesMore about problem feeders in my interview with Dr. Kay ToomeyGet kids in the kitchen! Check out the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse or Teens Cook Real Food if your kids are olderJensen got help through my Picky Eater Playbook (P.E.P.) Club - learn more about the membership nowCheck out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever given parenting advice with total confidence…only to learn a few years later that you had it completely wrong? I have. 🙋‍♀️ After 21 years of feeding kids, 17 years of writing about healthy families, and a whole lot of conversations with picky eating experts, there are a few things I used to teach that I simply don’t anymore. And I think it’s important to talk about them. In this episode, I’m sharing some of the biggest changes I’ve made in my picky eating philosophy—and why learning more sometimes means being willing to do a complete 180. We’re digging into two especially common feeding practices: requiring kids to take a “no thank you bite” and making dessert something they have to earn by eating enough dinner. You’ll hear: Why I no longer recommend requiring even one bite of a new foodThe simple phrase that can take an enormous amount of pressure off picky eatersWhy making dessert a reward may accidentally make it even more desirableHow our family shifted from “eat enough dinner to get dessert” to choice within boundariesWhy there probably isn’t one perfect dessert rule that works for every child and every familyAnd we’re only halfway through my list! This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. In Part 2, I’ll share the rest of the major picky eating philosophies I’ve changed my mind about, including a powerful story of one child’s transformation and more of what I’ve learned while writing The Picky Eater Playbook. If you’ve ever wondered whether the feeding advice you’ve heard (or even followed for years!) is actually helping your child build a healthy relationship with food, this conversation is for you. Resources We Mention for Pressure-Free Feeding Find all the places you can pre-order my book, The Picky Eater Playbook (and get those pre-order bonuses!)Jump start your learning with the No More Picky Eating ChallengeThe real cause of picky eating with Dr. Kay ToomeyWhy We Should Stop Thinking About Nutrition and Build Our Kids’ Eating Habits Instead with Feeding Expert Dina Rose, PhDOur real food sweets rules – are they necessary?Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What if one of the best things you could do for an anxious, frustrated, or struggling kid is...do a little less? I know. Every parenting instinct in us is screaming, “Help them! Fix it! Tell them it’s going to be okay!” But Dr. Kathryn Hecht says there’s a problem with that last one: We’re not wizards. We actually don’t know that everything is going to be okay, and our kids are smart enough to know it too. So what can we say instead? In this episode, Dr. Hecht gives us an incredibly simple formula that combines empathy with confidence, plus a 10-second parenting rule that might be harder to practice than it sounds. We’re talking about how to help kids do hard things, tolerate frustration, become more independent, and build real confidence without throwing them into the proverbial deep end. And I love this because we’re not talking about manufacturing scary experiences for our kids. We’re talking about the everyday stuff. Buttons. Homework. Birthday parties. Trying something new. All those little moments when we have to decide: Do I swoop in, or do I give my child a chance to discover, “Oh. I can handle this.” If you want to raise kids who see uncertainty less as a threat and more as something they can navigate, keep listening. This one is practical enough to use today. Resources We Mention for Raising Brave Kids See Dr. Kathryn’s books:The Be Brave Activity Book: 100 Exposure-Based Challenges That DARE Kids to Boss Back Their Worry and Anxiety Once and for All (Amazon/Bookshop.org)Releasing in February 2027 – The Can-Do Activity Book for Kids: Try Things on Your Own, Deal with Big Feelings, and Grow Confident Along the Way (Amazon/Bookshop.org)Watch Dr. Kathryn’s TEDx Talk, “How to raise kids who can handle hard things”Get your kids started learning to do hard things with #LifeSkillsNow!Germ theory vs. terrain theory with Dr. Catherine ClintonThe “Worst Mom in America” on Raising Confident KidsHave kids anxious about eating? Start the No More Picky Eating Challenge right now and check out my forthcoming book, The Picky Eater Playbook.Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What if one of our most loving parenting instincts is accidentally making our kids less confident? Oof. As parents, we’re wired to help. To reassure. To rescue. To make the crying stop in the grocery store before everyone in aisle seven starts judging us. (You know what I mean?) But child psychologist Dr. Kathryn Hecht says kids aren’t nearly as fragile as we sometimes treat them. In fact, they need age-appropriate challenges to build what she calls “handleability”, that deep-down belief that says: This is hard, but I can handle it. I absolutely loved this conversation because it gets right into the practical question so many of us are wrestling with: How do we raise kids who can actually handle hard things? We dig into: Why constantly removing obstacles can undermine a child’s confidence, even when we’re doing it out of loveThe fascinating idea that kids are anti-fragile, and why some stress and challenge actually help build emotional resilienceWhy “healthy kids = happy kids” is a parenting myth we may need to toss outHow rescuing a child brings short-term relief but can create more distress long-termWhy our kids sometimes interpret our help as evidence that they couldn’t have handled it themselvesWhat “coping efficacy” or “handleability” looks like in normal family life, without turning your home into a psychology clinicWhy exposure therapy is much less scary than it sounds, and how parents can help kids take small, voluntary steps toward something difficultThe difference between roller-coaster scary and horror-movie scary, and why that distinction might completely change how you help an anxious or hesitant childDr. Hecht has this incredible ability to take clinical psychology and turn it into language that makes you think, “Ohhhh. I can actually use this with my kid.” And I have a feeling you’ll finish this one looking at your child’s next hard moment a little differently. Resources We Mention for Raising Resilient Kids See Dr. Kathryn’s books:The Be Brave Activity Book: 100 Exposure-Based Challenges That DARE Kids to Boss Back Their Worry and Anxiety Once and for All (Amazon/Bookshop.org)Releasing in February 2027 – The Can-Do Activity Book for Kids: Try Things on Your Own, Deal with Big Feelings, and Grow Confident Along the Way (Amazon/Bookshop.org)Watch Dr. Kathryn’s TEDx Talk, “How to raise kids who can handle hard things”How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims and my interview with JulieGet your kids started learning to do hard things with #LifeSkillsNow!Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

“Structure” might not be the most exciting word in parenting. In fact, if you’re anything like me, it might sound a little too much like schedules, color-coded charts, and someone who actually knows where all the matching socks are. I am not that person. But here’s what I’ve learned: structure isn’t about controlling our kids. It’s one of the ways we care for them. I was recently talking with an 11-year-old who, I realized, didn’t really have a bedtime. No adult was telling him when it was time to sleep, and he was regularly falling asleep in class. That hit me hard. Kids need choices, absolutely. But they need choices inside a fence. They need adults who create boundaries that say, “You’re safe here. I’ve got you.” And mealtime is one of the best places to practice this. In this episode, I’m sharing six practical habits that can make meals healthier, calmer, and far less exhausting for parents. We’ll talk about: Why structure can actually reduce stress for kids instead of creating more of itThe ridiculously simple “veggies first” system that does not require you to chop carrots at 5:47 p.m. while everyone is melting downThree questions we use at our table to get kids talking about when they laughed, learned, and lovedWhy parents need a good poker face at the dinner table, especially with picky eatersHow to give kids plenty of food choices while still keeping the very important boundary that you decide what gets servedThe after-dinner rule in our house that has helped my kids become people who automatically notice when there’s work to be doneOne tiny lunch-packing habit that can save you from pulling seven containers and three utensils out of the refrigerator the next morningYou do not need to implement all six ideas tomorrow. Please don’t. Listen for the one that makes you think, “Ohhh. We need that.” That’s probably your action step. Resources We Mention for Mealtime Habits for Families The Kimball Family Chores System helps develop good habits to make getting a clean house simpler!You can learn how all these habits work to solve picky eating from the No More Picky Eating Challenge and also in my upcoming book, The Picky Eater Playbook!My interview with Deborah MacNamara about food and family connectonWhy kids have anxietyFamily dinner rituals for physical and mental healthWhy “veggies first”?A good divided vegetable tray to tryMy interview with Shannon Miller where she talks about the three L’sYes, we have nights when our kids cook dinner! Here’s how to start one.Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever looked at your kid’s schedule and thought, “How are we supposed to fit all of this in?” School. Sports. Music practice. Homework. Clubs. Family stuff. That giant project they somehow remember at the most inconvenient possible moment. And then we wonder why our kids feel stressed…while we’re over here acting as the family calendar, reminder system, transportation coordinator, and human push notification. In part one of my conversation with productivity expert Megan Sumrell, we talked about time debt and why so many of us keep carrying unfinished tasks from one day into the next. But this time I wanted to ask a different question: Can we teach our kids to avoid that mess before they become adults? Because I did NOT start life with excellent planning habits. Megan didn’t either. So if we can give our tweens and teens some of these skills at 12, 15, or 18 instead of making them figure it out at 35 while juggling work and kids…yes, please. Megan shares a very practical system for helping kids actually see their time, instead of treating everything that isn’t happening right this second as some vague place called “later.” And parents, there are some really good ideas in here for us too. In this interview, we dig into: Why Megan says most kids basically have two categories of time: “now” and “not now”The four levels of planning that can help students manage a whole semester without Mom becoming the Chief Information OfficerWhy writing tasks in a little box labeled “Monday” might still be nothing more than a glorified to-do listHow one teen used her calendar to make a completely logical case for getting out of family yard work (and yes, it worked!)What kids should do when a teacher assigns a five-week project so it doesn’t magically become a five-hour panic session the night beforeMegan’s surprisingly helpful strategy for procrastinators who look at the thing they planned to do and think, “Nope. Don’t wanna.”Why you may need an actual uncertainty budget for your time, just like an emergency fund for your moneyHow teaching kids these skills can eventually free parents from remembering every exam, practice, deadline, and assignment for themOne idea especially made me stop and think: Megan intentionally blocks time on her calendar for problems she doesn’t even know about yet. Because something always comes up, right? The internet dies. A teacher assigns something unexpected. A project takes twice as long as you thought. Somebody needs a form filled out by tomorrow morning. (Naturally.) Instead of pretending those surprises won’t happen, Megan plans for them. And that may be one of the most practical ways I’ve ever heard to get out of the constant cycle of, “I’ll just squeeze it in somewhere.” If you want your kids to head toward high school, college, and adulthood knowing how to manage their own responsibilities without you constantly chasing behind them, this conversation is packed with skills worth teaching now. Because the goal isn’t to raise kids who can cram more into every day. It’s to raise capable humans who can look at their time, make good decisions, and know when the answer needs to be, “I actually don’t have room for that.” Resources We Mention for Time Management for Kids Check out Megan’s TOP Program and the TOP Program for StudentsGet her free training here to start figuring out that time debt situation!Watch my first interview with Megan on to-do listsWorkshops with Megan are available in #LifeSkillsNow Seasons Two and ThreeDenise Albright has some really fun and colorful planners and visual planning products! (Use code Katie for a discount)Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever moved the same task from Monday’s list to Tuesday’s list...then Wednesday’s...and by Friday you’re pretty sure that task has taken up permanent residence there? Meanwhile, you’ve accomplished 47 other things. So why do you still feel behind? My guest Megan has a name for this: time debt. And once she explained it, I started seeing it everywhere. It’s a lot like financial debt. You begin today already owing yesterday, and tomorrow you’ll owe today too. Pretty soon, no amount of crossing things off feels like enough. For parents, especially moms carrying work, kids, appointments, meals, household responsibilities, and all those invisible things somebody has to remember, that can get exhausting FAST. But here’s where this conversation got especially interesting. What if the problem isn’t that women need to get better at productivity? What if some of the productivity systems we’ve been told to use simply weren’t designed with women’s lives or biology in mind? Megan and I dig into some fascinating territory in this conversation, including: Why an unfinished to-do list can create time debt that compounds from day to dayHow “productive procrastination” can have you organizing a drawer while avoiding the task that actually mattersWhy advice like “Eat the Frog” might not solve the real problemThe surprisingly important reason Megan recommends doing a time audit before trying another planning systemWhy putting your commitments somewhere visual can make you think twice before saying, “Sure, I can do that!”How women’s biological cycles and caregiving responsibilities may make some traditional productivity systems a poor fitThe startling change in how many young women report feeling overwhelmed compared with college freshmen decades agoWhat you may need to stop doing, not just organize better, if you actually want to get out of time debtAnd that last one may be the hardest. Because we parents are very good at asking, “How can I fit this in?” We’re perhaps not quite as practiced at asking, “Should this be on my list at all?” If you’ve ever ended a very productive day wondering why you still feel like you failed, this conversation may give you a completely different way to look at your calendar, your expectations, and that task you’ve moved to tomorrow for the fourth time. Resources We Mention for Time Debt Check out Megan’s TOP Program and the TOP Program for StudentsGet her free training here to start figuring out that time debt situation!Watch my first interview with Megan on to-do listsWorkshops with Megan are available in #LifeSkillsNow Seasons Two and ThreeDenise Albright has some really fun and colorful planners and visual planning products! (Use code Katie for a discount)Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook! Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!