Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

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!
Get your free life skills workshops at raisinghealthyfamilies.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!
Get your free life skills workshops at raisinghealthyfamilies.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 wasteCream 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!