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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.
Episode 86: The Evolution of Modern Food & Label Reading 401 with Becky Wells of Hippie Moms
You get to sit in on what turned into a college class in food history and nutrition label reading! This interview is high-energy, high impact, and will fill both your academic brain and your mama heart. Becky Wells of Hippie Moms is passionate about helping other mamas understand their food and build a healthy foundation...
Episode 85: Kids Are Showing Signs of Alzheimer’s, and No One Is Worrying with Dr. Kristina Bosnar
Alzheimer’s and dementia are some of the scariest realities for adults to consider. No one wants to feel like they’re going to lose their mind! But in this day and age, it feels like cognitive decline is inevitable for many of us, “just a normal part of aging.” Similarly, our culture has come to accept...
Episode 83: Why Feeding Therapy Can Backfire—Insights from Picky-Eating MD Dr. Katja Rowell
You’ve heard the figure that most MDs get less than 10-20 hours of nutrition and food training in medical school, and Dr. Katja Rowell (MD!) thinks this is a tragedy. Worse, she says, is that pediatricians and family doctors aren’t trained at all in HOW kids learn to eat, and many of them help families...
Episode 82: Building Strong Families, Connected Kids with Father Leo of Plating Grace
If having a strong family and raising kids who know how to serve others is important – or necessary – to you, my guest today will inspire, encourage, and challenge you to reach those goals! He prefers the word “invite” over “challenge,” so I’m curious to hear what you think! 🙂 I was beyond honored...
Episode 81: Diagnosing the Root Cause of Meltdowns & How to Calm Tantrums with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson
Meltdowns start in the brain! In many situations your child’s brain may perceive a large gap between demand and capacity, may be flooded with emotion and not able to access the logical processing left brain, or may be feeling unsafe or threatened, and any of those situations (and more) can be at the root cause...
Episode 80: Concussion-Proof Your Kids: Building Strong, Healthy Brains & Helping Kids Recover and Thrive After a Knock on the Head with Dr. Spencer Zimmerman
My youngest got his first concussion at age 3. After this interview, I’m wondering if another child of mine has some post-concussion symptoms that we never realized had to do with a knock on the head! This interview is for parents of contact sport athletes FOR SURE but also anyone who wants to strengthen their...
Episode 77: Teaching Teens About Money: Budgeting, Stress, and Starting Smart Conversations
Let’s be honest, teaching kids about money can feel intimidating. It’s one of those “adulting” topics we know they need, but if we didn’t grow up with great financial habits ourselves, how can we pass on something we’re still figuring out? That’s why I sat down with my friend Crystal Paine for a conversation every...
The Internet Gone Mad: How a Few Experts Cited Something Wrong and Now Everyone Thinks Harvard Wants Kids to Do Chores
You’ve probably seen the meme. It goes something like this: “Harvard found that the biggest predictor of success in life is doing chores as a child.” Cue the halo lighting up your messy living room—your kids grumbling about folding laundry suddenly feels like elite education. Harvard said so! Except … Harvard didn’t. So what is...
The ADHD Brain Is an Addicted Brain – Shattering Myths About ADHD and Executive Function and Pouring out Hope for Families
ADHD is not just an attention disorder; it’s an executive functioning disorder.
The myths abound!
If you’ve always thought of kids with ADHD as those who struggle in school, think again.
If you expect ADHD kids to have trouble focusing, wrong again.
If you think kids with ADHD are destined to struggle more throughout life, Mike McLeod is here to tell you that ADHD is not a limitation, just a different path.
The ADHD brain is truly different from neurotypical brains, although some truths apply to both groups, like:
- Children learn best through play and unstructured time.
- Outdoor play is vital for developing real-world skills.
- Boredom is essential for self-regulation and creativity.
- Cooking teaches kids self-sufficiency and life skills.
- Unstructured time is crucial for children’s development.
- Parents should set high expectations for their children.
- Removing screens can reveal hidden talents in kids.
- Parents need to place more importance on chores & balancing structure and freedom.
Parents of kids with or without ADHD need the information in this episode, but especially stuff like this:
- Screen time can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, but it does not cause ADHD.
- The ADHD brain struggles with self-regulation and motivation for NON-preferred tasks.
- Varied experiences are vital for skill development.
- Executive functions are crucial for success in life.
I love Mike’s energy and expertise, like sitting at the feet of a master. What an honor to work with him both for this podcast and as a #LifeSkillsNow Season 4 camp leader! Your whole family can learn more about the power of “varied experiences” in his #LifeSkillsNow workshop in Season 4. Check out the Season 4 package here, or see if #LifeSkillsNow is open for registration for this year!
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The “Unteachable” Life Skills Our Kids Need Most (and How We Can Help)
As a parent, I’m often asked: “How do you teach life skills like cooking, cleaning, or budgeting?” I love answering that question (because that’s literally my jam!). It’s hard enough for parents to get over their psychological roadblocks and slowwwww down enough to teach tangible skills. It’s even harder to figure out how to pass...