One of the best moms I know, Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship, joins me again this week for a discussion of natural parenting tips and organizational strategies that she has learned in her years as a teacher and mom of four.
In her seven years blogging, Katie has published eight eBooks covering the spectrum of real food from lunch to dinner, snacks, and even camping. She has also created the Kids Cook Real Food course, which helps moms include their children in the healthy cooking process.
Tips for Natural Parenting
Katie offers this advice for raising helpful, well-behaved kids:
1. Be Consistent
Katie has found that sticking to what you say helps her kids believe what she says and learn to behave accordingly. She acknowledges that this isn’t always easy (as any mom knows) but shares tips for learning to stick to a consistent routine, schedule and parenting style.
2. Acknowledge Your Mistakes
No mom is perfect, but that’s ok!
In fact, one of the best lessons to teach a child is to let them see you work through your mistakes. Katie suggests to acknowledge the fact that you’ve made a mistake in the first place, and explain that you’re trying to do better. This will not only show vulnerability and work to build your relationship and mutual respect with your children, but also provide a valuable example of humility.
3. Create a Culture of Service
Another lesson best taught by example. Encourage your kids to help each other and serve others in the family. This has helped Katie’s kids move through the self-centered phases of childhood faster. This can be as easy as little acts such as helping a younger sibling or fetching a diaper for a parent, or a bigger action like taking canned goods to a food kitchen or helping at a local charity.
4. Let Good Behavior “Trickle Down”
A great suggestion and one I’ve noticed in my kids as well. If you have (or plan to have) more than one child, spend a lot of time teaching your oldest. Inevitably, he/she will pass on the knowledge to the younger siblings and the process will get easier with each child. This also creates a positive culture among the children where they help each other and remember rules more easily (because they remind each other). Little kids love to emulate older siblings so positive habits that older kids learn get passed on easily.
The Teacher Perspective
Katie Kimball taught 3rd grade before having kids of her own. Her educational background has influenced her parenting in many positive ways, including:

Teaching her kids language through talking without “kid language.”
Making reading fun.
Value and encourage curiosity

The Summer Vacation Survival Kit
Now that summer has arrived, many parents are struggling to keep their kids occupied with positive activities. Katie Kimball has put together a guide to help parents make summer fun and healthy for you kids (and doable for moms). Here are a few of her suggestions:

Gather ideas for chores, learning, work and fun activities together, then choose one of each after breakfast each day. (This is Katie’s “Lazy Summer Vacation Organizational System”)
Create routines around breakfast, because it happens every