← back to Raising Healthy Families blog
Parenting
In each episode of the Healthy Parenting Handbook Podcast, Katie Kimball, the national voice of healthy kids cooking, interviews experts in fields like nutrition, medicine, psychology, parenting, technology, entrepreneurship and more to help parents get tools to raise healthy, independent kids.
Starting Tweens and Teens Off Right with a Planning System that Actually Works
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 Officer
- Why writing tasks in a little box labeled “Monday” might still be nothing more than a glorified to-do list
- How 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 before
- Megan’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 money
- How teaching kids these skills can eventually free parents from remembering every exam, practice, deadline, and assignment for them
One 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.”
...
Using the Word “Overwhelm” Means You’re in Time Debt. Here’s How to Get Out.
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 day
- How “productive procrastination” can have you organizing a drawer while avoiding the task that actually matters
- Why advice like “Eat the Frog” might not solve the real problem
- The surprisingly important reason Megan recommends doing a time audit before trying another planning system
- Why 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 fit
- The startling change in how many young women report feeling overwhelmed compared with college freshmen decades ago
- What you may need to stop doing, not just organize better, if you actually want to get out of time debt
And 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.
...
Sunscreen Label Reading Made Simple for Parents
If you thought choosing a sunscreen was as simple as looking for the words “mineral” on the front of the bottle, this episode might surprise you.
In this conversation, Autumn Blum and I dig into the sunscreen label details that most parents never hear about—and some new ingredients to watch out for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why reading the active ingredients matters far more than the marketing on the front of the package
- The new sunscreen ingredient that’s generating buzz and raising questions
- The little-known ingredient showing up in many mineral sunscreens that parents should understand
- Why some “safe” ingredients from a decade ago are being reconsidered today
- How to make mineral sunscreen easier for kids to use (without the battles)
- The simple sunscreen habit that can better protect your kids every single day
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed standing in the sunscreen aisle, this episode will help you understand what really matters and what to look for on the label.
...
Why Humans in Nebraska Can Hurt the Coral Reefs
I was once called the Wikipedia of sunscreen by a morning news anchor.
I consider myself a total sunscreen geek!
Wait until you see my jaw drop in this conversation with cosmetic chemist and Stream2Sea founder Autumn Blum. She taught me things I had never considered before!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why a scuba diving trip halfway around the world completely changed the way Autumn formulates skincare products
- The surprising connection between the sunscreen you put on in your backyard and ecosystems hundreds or even thousands of miles away
- What researchers discovered about certain sunscreen ingredients that sparked bans in destinations around the world
- Why the word “organic” on a personal care label may not mean what you think it means
- How sunscreen ingredients can travel through both our bodies and our waterways
- Why protecting your skin and protecting the environment may not be an either-or choice
This is one of those episodes that will absolutely make you think differently the next time you reach for a bottle of sunscreen.
...
Chores Matter More Than Extracurriculars for Teens — Here’s Why
If you’ve ever looked around your house thinking, “Why am I still doing everything for these capable humans?” — this episode is for you.
I’m deeply passionate about helping parents raise kids who are not only healthy, but independent, resilient, and prepared for real life. And honestly? Chores and family responsibilities are one of the most powerful tools we have to make that happen.
In this conversation with Hunter Clarke-Fields from the Mindful Mama Podcast, we talk about why chores are about so much more than getting help around the house. They help kids build confidence, ownership, problem-solving skills, and even better mental health.
We also talk about:
- Why responsibility protects teen resilience
- How to start chores with toddlers and preschoolers
- What to do if your teen has never really helped before
- Why contribution matters more than perfection
- How to stop nagging and build systems that actually work
And yes — I share the exact chore system we’ve used in our family for over 10 years.
Whether your child is 4 or 14, it’s never too late to start building the life skills they’ll carry into adulthood.
...
Food Allergies, Inclusion, and Building Community
If your family does not deal with food allergies, it can be easy to assume this episode is not for you. But after this conversation with Kathlena, The Allergy Chef, I think every parent will walk away with more empathy, awareness, and practical tools for helping all kids feel included.
Kathlena’s stories are powerful, heartbreaking, and deeply hopeful. We talked about the hidden isolation many families experience and the surprisingly simple ways we can make our homes, classrooms, and communities safer and more welcoming for everyone.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why many families with food allergies feel socially isolated — even during everyday gatherings
- The emotional story of a 12-year-old receiving her very first safe birthday cake
- Simple ways to include kids with food allergies without making things complicated
- Why “food-free” gatherings can sometimes be the best solution
- What parents often misunderstand about severe food allergies and cross-contamination
- How empathy and communication can completely change a child’s experience
- Why schools and parents need to advocate earlier and more openly
- Practical ways to teach kids kindness, flexibility, and inclusion around food differences
This conversation is such an important reminder that connection matters more than perfection — and that small acts of thoughtfulness can have a lifelong impact on a child.
You can watch Kathlena in action at this year’s #LifeSkillsNow summer camp. She teaches teens how to turn basic ground meats into an amazing variety of dinners. Her workshop is SO GOOD! Don’t miss out – register now.
...
Hope for Families with Food Allergies: The Allergy Chef’s Incredible Story
I have to tell you, this episode completely stretched my understanding of food allergies, chronic illness, and what it means to truly listen to your body.
Kathlena, also known as The Allergy Chef, has one of the most unbelievable stories I have ever heard. She personally manages more than 200 food allergies and intolerances, was once given 30 days to live, and today somehow works as a chef helping other families navigate food restrictions with creativity and hope.
But this conversation is not just about extreme allergies. It is also about paying attention to our kids, respecting what their bodies may be telling us, and understanding that no two humans respond to food the same way. Kathlena brings so much wisdom, humor, and perspective to a topic that can feel incredibly overwhelming for families.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Kathlena went years without proper diagnosis despite severe reactions
- What happened when she finally started eliminating foods on her own
- Why she believes kids should never be forced to eat foods they reject
- What daily life looks like when you can safely eat only a handful of foods
- How food allergies changed the way her whole family cooked and ate
- Why involving kids in food preparation builds confidence and resilience
- The surprising connection between chronic inflammation and obesity
- The “five pillars of health” that helped transform her family’s health
You can watch Kathlena in action at this year’s #LifeSkillsNow summer camp. She teaches teens how to turn basic ground meats into an amazing variety of dinners. Her workshop is SO GOOD! Don’t miss out – register now.
...
Family Dinners, Tech Boundaries, and Resilience: A Recipe for Teens Who Launch Well
If you listened to part one of my conversation with Tania Johnson, you already know how powerful it was to understand what is happening inside the teenage brain. In this second half, we move from the “why” into the “what now?” We talk about the practical side of parenting teens in today’s world, including chores, emotional intelligence, resilience, family connection, and of course… technology.
One thing I really appreciated about this conversation is how balanced and hopeful it felt. Tania does not come from a place of fear or perfectionism. Instead, she reminds us that parenting teens is about relationship, repair, and helping our kids gradually build the skills they need to become capable adults. We also talk honestly about screens and smartphones, and I think every parent of tweens and teens will feel seen in this conversation.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why emotional intelligence may matter more than IQ long-term
- How parents teach EQ through everyday conversations and reactions
- Why family dinners and chores build confidence and connection
- How to hold expectations without constant power struggles
- The reason more teens seem afraid of failure and independence
- Why resilience grows through small risks and mistakes
- What parents often get wrong about smartphones and social media
- Why it is okay to “rewind” and change tech decisions later
...
Why Teenagers Are Like Toddlers (& What That Means for Practical Parenting)
If you have ever looked at your teenager and thought, “Why are we suddenly having toddler-level emotional meltdowns again?” this episode is going to make so much sense. I had such a fascinating conversation with Tania Johnson from the Institute of Child Psychology about what is actually happening inside the teenage brain, and honestly, it completely reframed some things for me as a parent.
We talk about why teens and toddlers are surprisingly similar from a brain development perspective, why emotional outbursts and withdrawal are actually normal parts of development, and what parents can do to stay connected without smothering their kids. I especially loved how practical this conversation became. Tania has such a gift for taking complicated psychology concepts and making them feel doable in real life.
One of my biggest takeaways from this episode was the reminder that connection is still the foundation of parenting during the teen years. Even when they roll their eyes, shut their doors, or seem like they do not want us around, attachment and relationship still matter deeply.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why the teenage brain develops similarly to a toddler’s brain
- What co-regulation actually looks like during emotional moments
- Why talking less can sometimes help more with teens
- What is happening when your teen explodes and then withdraws
- Why parents should step back into connection after conflict
- How attachment continues shaping mental health during adolescence
- Simple family rituals that help teens feel loved and connected
- Why family meals matter more than most parents realize!
...
AI Can Answer Almost Anything. Your Kid Still Has to Know What to Ask.
There’s a fear going around that AI is going to make our kids’ brains soft. That they won’t have to think anymore, because the screen will think for them. I don’t buy it! AI hands you an answer the instant you ask. But AI does nothing for the kid who never thought to ask in the...