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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.
Making Repairs When Dad Blows Up
What happens when you mess up as a parent?
Because let’s be honest… no matter how intentional you try to be, no matter how many goals you set, there are still going to be moments where you lose your patience, react in a way you regret, or just plain get it wrong. The real question is not if that will happen, but what you do next.
In this second half of my conversation with Jon Hord, we move from awareness into action. Jon shares what it actually looks like to repair those hard moments with your kids, how to model growth instead of perfection, and why those “mess up” moments can become some of the most powerful connection points in your family.
This episode is incredibly practical, but also deeply encouraging. You are not stuck in your patterns. You are not defined by your worst moments. And you have more influence than you think in shaping your relationship with your kids moving forward.
In this episode, we cover:
- What to say after you lose your temper or handle something poorly
- Why apologizing to your kids builds respect instead of weakening authority
- How to turn parenting mistakes into opportunities for connection
- The difference between working on yourself silently and involving your kids in the process
- A simple way to help kids learn compromise and ownership (using dinner!)
- Why the dinner table is one of the most powerful connection points in your home
- The impact of removing phones and distractions during family time
- One mindset shift that can instantly change how you respond to your kids
The Dad Shift: How to Become the Father Your Kids Actually Need
Do you think you could be vulnerable enough to ask your kids, “How could I be a better parent?” Even the thought of that makes my chest tighten a little bit, but in this episode, Jon Hord is going to encourage dads—and moms—to do just that.
This conversation is such a powerful look at what it means to parent with intention instead of just reacting to whatever the day throws at you. Jon shares his own story of going from stressed, overwhelmed, and not showing up the way he wanted… to becoming a dad who is actively creating a new version of himself. And the best part? This is not about perfection. It is about awareness, small shifts, and having the courage to grow.
If you have ever felt like you are just trying to get through the day without losing your patience, or wondered if you are really showing up the way your kids need, this episode will hit home in the best way.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why “being a good parent” might actually be aiming too low
- The simple but uncomfortable question that can transform your relationship with your kids
- What to do when your child gives you honest feedback… and it stings
- How stress (especially from work) quietly shapes the parent you become at home
- The difference between reacting to your kids and actually leading them
- Why your childhood patterns show up in your parenting, whether you realize it or not
- A practical way to pause in hard moments instead of escalating them
- What it looks like to become the “new version” of yourself as a parent
Eating God’s Way for Christian Families
I love it when a conversation feels like it’s been years in the making. This one really has!
Today’s guest is someone who has quietly, faithfully shaped the way I think about food for a long time—my friend Wardee Harmon from Traditional Cooking School.
And if you’ve ever felt like the world of “healthy eating” is a swirl of contradictions…one expert says this, another says that…you are not alone. (Honestly, it can make your head spin before you even get dinner on the table.)
Wardee has this rare gift of bringing clarity to all that noise.
Her Eat God’s Way plan isn’t just another list of rules or trendy swaps. It’s a grounded, thoughtful look at the foods humans were designed to eat, paired with traditional methods that real families have used for generations. Things like soaking, fermenting, sourdough…not because they’re fancy, but because they work.
And I’ve seen firsthand how she teaches. She doesn’t overwhelm. She connects the dots.
She makes it feel doable, even if you’re starting from “we eat cereal for dinner sometimes and I’m just trying to survive.”
I also love that her perspective is rooted in faith, but she holds it with such grace. If that resonates with you, you’re going to feel right at home. And if it’s new or not quite your thing, there’s still so much practical wisdom here to take and run with.
Wardee is also one of our incredible leaders for #LifeSkillsNow (and coming back again in Season 5!)! This year she is teaching a delicious gluten-free Blueberry Oat Cake.
So whether you’re curious about traditional foods, wondering if sourdough is worth the hype, or just hoping to feel a little more grounded in what you feed your family…
You’re in the right place.
Let’s dive in.
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Make Perimenopause About Gain, Not Loss (& What You Need to Eat)
Let me ask you something. When was the last time you felt genuinely sharp? Not just “I had coffee and I’m functional” sharp, but clear-headed, energized, actually-in-the-room sharp?
If you had to think about that for a second… you’re not alone.
Most of us have quietly accepted a version of ourselves that’s a little foggy, a little tired, a little “off” and chalked it up to getting older, being busy, or just how things are now. But here’s the thing: that fog has reasons. Real, biological, fixable reasons, and most of them have nothing to do with willpower or discipline.
In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s actually going on inside your body and brain during perimenopause. We’re talking about the surprising link between your gut and your mood, what your sleep problems are really trying to tell you, and why stress is so much sneakier than anyone gives it credit for.
We’ll get into the habits that genuinely move the needle (spoiler: they’re simpler than you think, even if they’re not always easy), why there’s no magic pill and why that’s actually the best news you’ll hear all day, and how the small choices you’re making right now are quietly shaping how you’ll feel a decade from now. Two decades. Three.
Oh, and that thing you’re dreading about getting older? We’re going to reframe it completely.
So grab your drink of choice, get comfortable, and let’s figure out why your brain has been so quiet lately.
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The Menopause Gut: Understand How to Respond to Changing Hormones in Your 40s
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Why does my body suddenly feel different… and no one warned me about this?” you are absolutely not alone. Today’s episode is one I wish every mom could hear before she hits her late 30s and 40s, because we are talking about perimenopause in a way that actually makes sense.
I’m joined by Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner and expert in perimenopause and menopause, and this conversation truly feels like a mini masterclass in understanding your body. We talk through what is really going on with your hormones, how your gut plays a much bigger role than you might expect, and why so many of the symptoms we tend to brush off are actually connected.
Here’s what I love most about this episode: It is not about fear. It is about awareness. When you understand what is happening in your body, you can start making choices that help you feel better, not just get through this phase, but actually feel strong and supported in it.
In this episode, we cover:
- What the gut microbiome is and why it affects nearly every system in your body
- Why perimenopause can start earlier than you might expect, sometimes in your 30s
- The first hormone to shift and how it impacts stress, sleep, and mood
- How estrogen changes can lead to symptoms like weight gain, heavy periods, and gut issues
- Why your menstrual cycle is a vital sign you should not ignore
- The connection between hormones and brain fog, anxiety, and mood changes
- Why perimenopause can feel chaotic and how to start understanding those changes
- How learning what is happening in your body gives you more options to feel like yourself again
Heal Your Hunger: How to End Emotional Eating Now
Have you ever eaten chocolate or chips when you feel stressed?
Rewarded yourself for a job well done with a little sticky celebration?
Hid from sadness with a whole box of ice cream to yourself?
The term “emotional eating” might be new to you, but I’m sure you can see how it works. This interview with Tricia Nelson, author of Heal Your Hunger, is powerful in that we unlock the hidden truth behind why many of us can’t lose weight —
It’s not about the food.
It’s not about self-discipline.
It’s about feelings.
In this chat, we focus on the adults, on how to get through our own emotional eating, and although we touch upon how this impacts our parenting, it’s not about kids’ health today.
You’ll find out:
- What emotional eating is, and how it differs from food addiction
- How we’re wired for comfort food
- The #1 trait of emotional eaters (which, you guessed it, has nothing to with food or self-discipline!)
- How to re-learn how to listen to your body’s physical hunger cues
- Some questions you can ask yourself to differentiate between emotional eating and true hunger
- The interesting correlation between Tricia’s solution for emotional eaters and the first step of my process to help picky eaters
- How to avoid raising kids who are emotional eaters
- 3 practical steps to take to avoid the blame game and end emotional eating today
Super quick note that this isn’t a kid-friendly interview, nothing huge, but you might not want to have this one on with kids in the background.
Join Tricia in her Secret Sauce to End Emotional Eating Facebook group (anyone can join) and be sure to take her emotional eating quiz today.
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How to Translate the Language of Your Child or Teen’s Behavior
If you’ve ever looked at your child’s behavior and thought, “What is going on right now?”—you’re not alone.
In this episode, we go beyond surface-level parenting advice and get into something deeper: what your child’s behavior is actually trying to communicate. Because what looks like defiance, attitude, or disrespect on the outside is often something entirely different underneath.
Wendy Snyder introduces a powerful framework that helps you “translate” your child’s actions in real time. Instead of reacting with frustration, you’ll start to see patterns, unmet needs, and opportunities to teach life skills. It’s a shift that can completely change how you experience everyday parenting moments.
We also explore what to do when your child says things like “I hate this family,” why power struggles escalate so quickly, and how to stay grounded when your child is clearly unhappy with your rules. There’s a big mindset shift here that might feel uncomfortable at first, but it can also be incredibly freeing.
Along the way, you may find yourself rethinking what it really means to be a “strict” parent, and whether the strategies you’ve been using are actually helping in the long run.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The four hidden reasons behind most misbehavior
- How to tell if your child is seeking attention, power, revenge, or support
- Why punishment often makes behavior worse instead of better
- What to do when your child says hurtful or dramatic things
- How to stay calm when your child is upset with your rules
- The difference between firm boundaries and “strict” parenting
- How to stop power struggles before they escalate
- Why your mindset matters just as much as your parenting strategy
If you’ve been feeling stuck in cycles of frustration or wondering why nothing seems to “work,” this conversation will give you a new lens to look through … and a few moments that might just change how you respond the next time your child pushes back.
Did you miss part 1 of this episode? Watch or listen here.
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Why Starting Over Is a Parenting Superpower
There’s a moment in this conversation I can’t quite shake.
A mom drops her child’s favorite stuffed animal into the trash while her four-year-old begs her not to. If that makes your stomach tighten, you’re not alone.
Because even if you’ve never had a “trash can moment,” you’ve probably had that moment. The one where you hear yourself and think, “Wait…is this how I want to parent?”
That’s exactly where this conversation with Wendy Snyder begins. Not from perfection, but from honesty, growth, and a deep desire to do better than what we were handed.
And the surprising part? She doesn’t just share what went wrong. She shows us what to do instead in a way that feels doable and hopeful.
If you’ve ever wondered why punishment doesn’t work, why strong-willed kids push every button, or why you keep reacting in ways you swore you wouldn’t, this episode will meet you right there.
Inside, we talk about:
- The story behind that “trash can moment” and why it changed everything
- What’s really happening during power struggles
- The discipline belief most of us inherited and why it backfires
- A simple 4-step process to set limits without yelling or shame
- Why connection changes everything
- How to support strong-willed kids without breaking their spirit
- What breaking generational cycles actually looks like
- The long game of parenting and what success really means
Underneath it all is a quiet shift. Maybe parenting isn’t about controlling our kids better, but understanding them and ourselves more deeply.
If that’s the kind of change you’ve been craving, you’re in the right place.
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The Truth About Time Management for Moms (It’s Not Your Planner)
If you’ve ever thought, “Why can I not get my life together when it comes to time?”—you are absolutely not alone.
This conversation felt like such a breath of fresh air because we’re not talking about rigid schedules, perfect planners, or waking up at 5am (thank goodness). Instead, we’re digging into what actually works for real moms with real lives… you know, the kind where kids interrupt everything and plans fall apart before lunch.
I had so much fun hearing about Anna’s real-life experiences in the professional world, SO different than my life, and wait until you hear what we both have in common when it comes to being POOR at time management! I couldn’t believe her confession about getting in trouble at work for a time-related issue…
What I love most is that Anna brings so much grace and practicality to this topic. She doesn’t expect perfection; and honestly, that might be the most freeing part of all.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why time management isn’t really about your planner (and what actually matters instead)
- A simple “mind sweep” method to instantly reduce overwhelm and clear your mental clutter
- How to figure out what actually deserves your time (and what you can let go of)
- Practical ways to involve your kids so you’re not doing everything yourself
- What to do when your plans fall apart (because… they will)
- A simple framework to handle those chaotic, stressful moments without spiraling
If you’ve been feeling scattered, behind, or just plain overwhelmed, this episode is going to meet you right where you are and give you a few doable steps to move forward.
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Why Boredom Might Be the Skill Our Kids Need the Most
This month, I’ve been to a number of music concerts at my kids’ schools.
I’m enjoying the tunes, picking out my child from the audience and smiling, and relaxing into the music … when I see a flash of bright light from the corner of my eye. Or worse, it’s in the row in front of me …
It’s the same thing: elementary kids on screens for the entirety of a 30- to 60-minute performance. Sometimes even with the sound on their tablets (no headphones!) and the screen at full brightness!
I took some video clips and knew as soon as I conceived the idea for this reel that I would have angry people coming after me. I knew what some would say, and I figured: Let them come. I’ll answer at that point.
(By the way, AI did not write this, nor did it help me in any way. If you want to be mad at someone, it’s me, not a computer.)
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