Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

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
Thank you to today's sponsor, Happsy! Shop at kidscookrealfood.com/Happsy for an earth-friendly, affordable mattress today. 
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
Thank you to today's sponsor, Happsy! Shop at kidscookrealfood.com/Happsy for an earth-friendly, affordable mattress today. 
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
Thank you to today's sponsor, Happsy! Shop at kidscookrealfood.com/Happsy for an earth-friendly, affordable mattress today. 
Don't miss out on the #LifeSkillsNow workshops!
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
Thank you to today's sponsor, Happsy! Shop at kidscookrealfood.com/Happsy for an earth-friendly, affordable mattress today. 
Don't miss out on the #LifeSkillsNow workshops!
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
Thank you to today's sponsor, Happsy! Shop at kidscookrealfood.com/Happsy for an earth-friendly, affordable mattress today. 
Don't miss out on the #LifeSkillsNow workshops!
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!