Did you know that picky eating can sometimes be caused by the messages the bacteria in your gut are sending to your brain?

So the CHILD isn’t being a sugar monster…or making stubborn choices just to drive you crazy…their gut bugs are the sugar monsters and their brain has pruned too much!

I learned so much from Elissa Arnheim in this interview, both the philosophical to feed MY brain and the practical—some of which I implemented that very day!

Here are my favorite quotes:

• “Let’s start with this: Our bodies are designed perfectly.”
• “If a child cuts out an entire category of healthy foods, it’s a sign that something is wrong – and it’s all figure-out-able and fixable.”
• “Step 1 for sugar monster kids: serve sauerkraut!” 😮 (Don’t worry, Elissa shares multiple ways to make that a reality in your family…because I thought the same as you! My kids would never…!)
• “Resilience comes from diversity – both inside and outside our bodies.”
• “Risk to probiotic use = monoculture in our guts.”

And so, so much more! Pretty much if there are human beings in your family, you need this info too. 😉

Resources We Mention for Picky Eating and Gut Health

• Join our FREE Picky Eating Challenge
• The link between sugar and chronic inflammation
• Fermented kimchi recipe
• Fermented veggies in small batches
• My review of all the probiotics we’ve tried
• Connect with Elissa on Substack
• Connect with Elissa on Instagram

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

Try out the #LifeSkillsNow workshops at kidscookrealfood.com/skills!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever looked at a box in your house and felt like it was… talking to you?

Not literally. But emotionally.

Because in this second half of my conversation with decluttering expert Katy Wells, we go deeper than surface clutter. We talk about the hidden reasons we hold onto things. And friends, it is not about storage bins or label makers.

It’s about stories.

Stories about who we used to be. Who we hoped we would become. Stories about guilt, failure, scarcity, and expectations we didn’t even realize we were carrying.

And once you see that, you cannot unsee it.

In this episode, Katy unpacks the three hidden forces that keep people stuck in clutter cycles. These are not the things most organizing shows talk about. But they are the exact things that determine whether decluttering actually works long term.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why decluttering is emotional work disguised as a logistics problem
• The hidden stories your belongings might be telling you
• How guilt and fear silently control what you keep
• The three pillars that shape your personal “stuff story”
• How childhood beliefs influence adult clutter habits
• The connection between procrastination and clutter
• Why some habits are not problems but personality clues
• The simple 5-second trick that can break overwhelm instantly

You’ll also hear one client story that might stop you in your tracks. Because once you recognize your own version of that box in the garage, you may never look at clutter the same way again.

And the best part?

You do not have to fix everything today. You just have to start.

Resources We Mention for Decluttering and Emotions

• Order Katy’s new book, Making Home Your Happy Place, on Amazon or Bookshop.org
• Check out her courses if you need help at home: Toy Clutter Cure System, Home Management Mastery, Clutter Challenge
• Get the one-page handbook episode guides at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/handbook
• Here is Katy’s earlier episode of the podcast: Expected Mess Vs. True Clutter
• More on decluttering and working together as a family in my interview with Tidy Dad

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What if the stress you feel at home is not just about your schedule… but about your stuff?

I know. That sounds almost too simple.

But when Katy Wells came back on the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast, we did not just talk about decluttering. We talked about cortisol. About magnets for your attention. About why walking into your own kitchen can change your mood in seconds.

And friends, this one hit close to home.

Because if you are trying to raise independent kids, teach life skills, keep up with meals, laundry, school, sports, and somehow protect your own nervous system… your environment matters more than you think.

Here is what we dig into in this episode:

• The surprising research linking clutter and elevated cortisol levels
• Why the average American home may be holding over 300,000 “magnets for your attention”
• How clutter quietly fuels anxiety (even if you think it does not bother you)
• What a “nightly reset” looks like in real life with kids
• How to pass ownership of the home to your children without nagging
• The difference between modeling and inviting kids into responsibility
• Why action creates motivation (and not the other way around)
• The simple starting point that breaks the clutter and anxiety cycle

We also talk about something that might sting a little: why systems alone will not save you.

If you have ever walked into a messy kitchen and felt your shoulders tense… or walked into a clear counter and felt yourself exhale… this episode is for you.

Let’s talk about how simplifying your home can actually strengthen your parenting.

Resources We Mention for Making Home Your Happy Place

• Order Katy's new book, Making Home Your Happy Place, on Amazon or Bookshop.org
• Check out her courses if you need help at home: Toy Clutter Cure System, Home Management Mastery, Clutter Challenge
• Get the one-page handbook episode guides at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/handbook
• Here is Katy's earlier episode of the podcast: Expected Mess Vs. True Clutter – What’s the Difference and How to Solve Them
• Visit Katy at her website Katy Joy Wells or on Instagram

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Our hearts tell us we want to be outside, that we were created for nature…when it’s warm and beautiful and sunny!

I don’t know about you, but I do find that when it’s cold, rainy, snowing, or blowing, I tend to be grateful for my 4 walls, central heat, and mug of tea indoors.

How can we change this paradigm in ourselves and in our culture where the outdoors is becoming less and less popular all the time?

It doesn’t happen by accident. To be intentional about outdoor and nature time, we have to be inspired. My guests today are the co-authors of a wonderful book about getting outdoors, Digging Into Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids, and they share research and physiology to remind us: Our kids need time outside. Much, much more time than they’re getting!

You’ll be inspired by:

• how parenting has changed in the last 30 years & Dr. Glassy’s wake-up call
• outdoor benefits to physical and mental health
• why parenting actually becomes easier when your kids are outside!
• what “counts” as a dose of nature
• simple ways you can incorporate nature into your day – without even going out!
• how children’s development is actually supercharged with outdoor experiences
• the ways in which time outside builds resilience and prepares kids and teens for real life

I figure I need to listen to an interview like this about every 2 months to re-inspire me to make outside time a priority! Maybe every 2 weeks in the winter…

What do you think?

Resources We Mention for Nature Time for Kids

• Drs. Glassy and Tandon’s book: Digging Into Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids (Amazon/Bookshop.org)
• Simple Strategies to Relieve Anxiety as a Family
• Why Everything You Know About Vision is Wrong
• Living Dangerously with Caution: We Bike Our Child to School without Apology
• Building Resilience and Reducing Stress in Kids with Jess Sherman
• 20 Ways to Preserve Apples (without Sugar)
• Check out Project Nature Washington for more from these doctors

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

Try out the #LifeSkillsNow workshops at kidscookrealfood.com/skills!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 Danish Way of Parenting and The Danish Way Every Day. This is part two of our conversation, and we’re digging into:

• what hygge really is beyond candles and cozy blankets
• how Danish families use mealtimes and simple food to build connection instead of conflict
• why involving kids in cooking and chores from toddlerhood can actually feel like play
• the powerful idea of equal dignity and seeing our kids as true members of the family team
• how all of this helps children “rest well within themselves” and grow a deep, quiet sense of contentment

If you’ve ever felt torn between giving your kids a “real childhood” and preparing them for success, or if you’re tired of power struggles around food, chores, and screens, this conversation will feel like a big exhale. Jessica offers such a hopeful, practical picture of family life that isn’t about striving and measuring, but about raising kids who genuinely feel at home in themselves.

Let’s dive into part two!

Resources We Mention for Danish Parenting

• Jessica’s books: The Danish Way of Parenting (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and The Danish Way Every Day (Amazon/Bookshop.org)
• Building Strong Families, Connected Kids with Father Leo of Plating Grace
• my No More Picky Eating Challenge
• 3 Reasons Giving Your Kids Responsibilities Is a Gift
• How to Raise Siblings Who Love Each Other
• Find Jessica at her website Jessica Joelle Alexander or follow her on social: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

Try out the #LifeSkillsNow workshops at kidscookrealfood.com/skills!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 Healthy Parenting Handbook, I talk with Jessica Joelle Alexander about what that actually looks like in real life. We explore:

• why Danish children are often described as calm and serene
• how play is treated as essential rather than optional
• and why connection and trust matter more than control, especially in the digital age.

This conversation is settling, perspective-shifting, and deeply reassuring for parents who feel the pressure to constantly measure and manage their kids’ development! I couldn’t stop talking with Jessica, so stay tuned for Part 2 of this interview. 

Resources We Mention for Danish Parenting

• Jessica’s books: The Danish Way of Parenting (Amazon/Bookshop.org) and The Danish Way Every Day (Amazon/Bookshop.org)
• 3 Ways Parents Can Help Prevent Depression in Their Kids
• Nurturing Young Skeptics: Essential Guide to Teaching Critical Thinking to Kids and Teens with Kathy Gibbens
• My TEDx talk on building critical thinking skills in kids
• Check out the Raising Digital Citizens conversation cards here
• Find Jessica at her website Jessica Joelle Alexander or follow her on social: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube

Get a peek at Teens Cook Real Food right here!

Try out the #LifeSkillsNow workshops at kidscookrealfood.com/skills!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 again, how that’s developmentally healthy, and how we as parents can level up by keeping strong boundaries while inviting conversation, choice, and understanding. I’ll also share why cooking has become one of my favorite safe places to practice all of this, from knowing when it’s okay to bend the rules to understanding when rules exist for a really good reason. 

Let’s dive in. 

Get the parenting video series now at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenvids or check out Teens Cook Real Food at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenscook

Resources We Mention for Boundaries for Teens

• Teens Cook Real Food course
• Free 3-part video series on parenting teens intentionally
• Teen Tidbit 1 on ownership
• Teen Tidbit 2 on agency
• Teen Tidbit 3 on overcoming perfectionism
• Teen Tidbit 4 on passing on family values

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 personally enjoy teaches empathy and service, how flexible cooking skills help reduce food waste and stretch a grocery budget, and how making simple meals from whole ingredients builds healthier habits without being overwhelming. 

When teens learn to cook, adapt recipes, and use what they already have, they gain far more than a meal, they absorb the values that shape your family culture and carry them into adulthood.

Get the parenting video series now at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenvids or check out Teens Cook Real Food at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenscook

Resources We Mention for Passing on Family Values in the Kitchen

• Teens Cook Real Food course
• Free 3-part video series on parenting teens intentionally
• Teen Tidbit 1 on ownership
• Teen Tidbit 2 on agency
• Teen Tidbit 3 on overcoming perfectionism
• Ways to avoid food waste
  • Cream of vegetable soup framework
  • Chicken stock
• Here are some of my favorite baby steps for eating more real food.
• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes this week! Apple, Spotify, other options

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 letting go of perfection. When I filmed Teens Cook Real Food with eight real teens who were mostly beginners, we captured the messy, real-life moments: broken eggs, small cuts, burned food, and lots of learning along the way. I intentionally pushed them to measure like TV chefs, eyeball seasonings, and move faster than felt comfortable, all to help loosen that grip of perfectionism. 

Cooking shows us that food doesn’t need to be flawless to be delicious, and that it’s actually pretty hard to completely mess things up.

When kids can aim for “yummy” instead of “five-star restaurant quality,” they gain confidence, experience, and momentum. If you have a teen whose perfectionist tendencies keep them from trying new things or putting themselves out there, cooking can be a powerful and practical way to help them grow.

Get the parenting video series now at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenvids or check out Teens Cook Real Food at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/teenscook

Resources We Mention for Overcoming Perfectionism in the Kitchen

• Teens Cook Real Food course
• Free 3-part video series on parenting teens intentionally
• Teen Tidbit 1 on ownership
• Teen Tidbit 2 on agency
• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes this week! Apple, Spotify, other options

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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 once to show how flexible cooking really is. 

Even when it feels messy or overwhelming at first, teens are more than capable of cutting through the chaos, following a recipe, and making something delicious. 

More importantly, all those options feed what they crave developmentally: independence and ownership. My encouragement is to look for ways at home to give your teens more agency by pairing choices with real skills, because that combination is what helps them grow into confident, capable adults.

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

Check out the Teens Cook Real Food eCourse here!

Resources We Mention for Teen Agency

• Teens Cook Real Food course
• Free 3-part video series on parenting teens intentionally
• Teen Tidbit 1 on ownership
• What’s it like to be diagnosed with a food allergy as a kid?
• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes this week! Apple, Spotify, other options

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!