Getting kids to actually try new foods can feel like an Olympic sport. In this solo episode, TWP host Kiyah Duffey shares playful, practical ways to turn “No thanks!” into “Okay, I’ll try it.” From the magic of repeated exposure to the power of sauces and dips, she shows parents how to make tasting fun, pressure-free, and—believe it or not—something kids might look forward to. Maybe.

** Free Resources **

📥 Descriptive Terms for Mealtime: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/mealtime-terms⁠⁠

🥦 Guide to Picky Eating: ⁠⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/picky-eating/⁠⁠

✅ Meal Planning Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/meal-planning-tips-2/⁠⁠

😋 50 Snack Ideas (for You AND Your Kids): ⁠⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/50-snack-ideas/⁠

** Key Takeaways**

Encouraging kids to taste new foods is essential for health.

Exposure to new foods should be non-pressuring.

Kids need about 15 exposures to a food before acceptance.

Contextualizing new foods helps kids feel more comfortable.

Using dips and sauces can make foods more appealing.

Taste tests can build trust and willingness to try new foods.

Modeling tasting behavior is important for kids.

Engaging kids in food preparation increases their interest.

Variety in diet is linked to better health outcomes.

Parents should share their own strategies for encouraging tasting.

** Chapters**

00:00 Strategies for Encouraging Kids to Taste

02:54 Creating Context for New Foods

05:12 Making Foods More Appealing

06:22 Building Trust Through Taste Tests

** About **

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhDfrom UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years ofexperience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves andtheir children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker andentrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to helpyou transform your family’s relationship with food.

** Keywords**

tasting new foods, kids nutrition, food variety, parenting tips, healthy eating, food exposure, kids food preferences, encouraging kids to eat, food strategies, health outcomes

In this solo episode of The Weekly Parent, Dr. Kiyah Duffey unpacks why food variety matters for kids’ long-term health and how parents can actually make it happen without stress. From the daily struggle of picky eating to the subtle ways our own habits shape what kids are willing to try, Kiyah shares simple, practical strategies to expand your child’s palate. You’ll walk away with fresh ideas for turning mealtimes into a fun, low-pressure place where curiosity and healthy habits can grow.

** Free Resources **

📥 Descriptive Terms for Mealtime: ⁠https://bit.ly/mealtime-terms⁠

🥦 Guide to Picky Eating: ⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/picky-eating/⁠

✅ Meal Planning Cheat Sheet: ⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/meal-planning-tips-2/⁠

😋 50 Snack Ideas (for You AND Your Kids): ⁠https://drkiyahduffey.com/50-snack-ideas/

** Key Takeaways **

Eating a wide variety of foods leads to better health outcomes.

Kids are naturally skeptical of new foods due to evolutionary habits.

Establishing a habit of diverse eating takes patience and practice.

Color-themed meals can encourage creativity in food choices.

Serving familiar foods at different times can break eating habits.

Different textures can make familiar foods more appealing.

Involving kids in meal planning can increase their interest in food variety.

Modeling diverse eating habits is crucial for influencing children.

Buying different brands of the same food can introduce variety.

Encouraging kids to taste new foods is essential for expanding their diet.

** Let's Connect **

📩 Read the Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://theweeklyparent.com⁠⁠

📷 Follow Dr. Kiyah on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kiyahduffey/⁠

** About **

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

Co-parenting isn’t easy — and no two parents bring the same history, habits, or instincts to the table. In this episode, Kiyah talks with Dr. Emily Racic about why parenting styles often clash, how family of origin shapes our responses, and what it really takes to parent as a team. From building emotional awareness to modeling healthy conflict resolution for kids, we unpack practical strategies and the mindset shifts that can make co-parenting less about battles and more about balance.

** Let's Connect **

Learn about Capital Crescent Collective

Read The Weekly Parent Newsletter

Follow Kiyah on Instagram

** Resources Mentioned **

Good Inside

No Drama Discipline

Dr. Dan Siegel's other books

** Key Takeaways **

• Co-parenting is challenging due to differing backgrounds and perspectives.
• Communication is key in navigating parenting differences.
• Differences in parenting styles can be strengths rather than weaknesses.
• It's important to approach parenting as a team, not asadversaries.
• Understanding family of origin can help explain parenting styles.
• Emotional awareness is crucial for effective co-parenting.
• Modeling healthy conflict resolution is important forchildren.
• Taking time to reflect on parenting decisions can reduce anxiety.
• Resources and support can aid in co-parenting efforts.
• Parenting is an ongoing journey that requires adaptability and teamwork.

** Chapters **

00:00 Introduction to Co-Parenting Challenges

01:21 Understanding the Difficulty of Co-Parenting

03:15 Common Conflict Areas in Co-Parenting

05:28 Navigating Parenting Differences

08:49 The Importance of Communication in Co-Parenting

12:13 Shifting Perspectives on Parenting Differences

16:19 Effective Communication Strategies

20:02 Utilizing External Resources for Parenting

22:42 The Role of Time in Resolving Conflicts

25:13 Reframing Stories in Co-Parenting

26:53 Navigating Co-Parenting Dynamics

29:08 Parenting Styles and Family Origins

31:12 Understanding Childhood Needs

33:30 Self-Reflection in Parenting

37:06 The Importance of Communication

39:35 The Ongoing Journey of Parenting

42:08 Managing Anxiety in Parenting

44:01 Resources for Parenting Growth

44:30 Active Parenting: Taking Ownership

** Keywords **

#coparenting, #parentingchallenges, #parenting #communication, #teamwork, #familydynamics, #emotionalawareness, #conflict #conflictresolution, #parentingresources, #familyoforigin, #selfreflection

** About **

Dr. Emily Racic is the owner of Capital Crescent Collective (formerly Emily Cook Therapy). From 2010 through 2022, Emily practiced as a licensed marriage and family therapist. Now practicing as a life and relationship coach, she continues to help clients within an evidence-informed, trauma-sensitive, and client-centered coaching framework. She is able to work with clients worldwide, especially if you and your partner or family member live long-distance. In 2018, Emily’s first relationship workbook was published by Althea Press. The Marriage Counseling Workbook: 8 Steps to a Strong and Lasting Partnership contains some of her best ideas, strategies, and metaphors to help couples pinpoint the cause of their troubles and recreate deep, lasting connections without therapy.Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

What if creativity wasn’t about perfection, but about making the thing, a thing —today? Dr. Kiyah Duffey and middle school art teacher (and damn good artist!) Simon Adams dig into Big-C vs little-c creativity, showing how practice, constraints, and the “magical yet” turn “I can’t” into “I can’t… yet.” They tackle fear of failure (especially in middle schoolers), share how to praise specifics instead of fluff, and explain why screens can act like junk food—filling boredom without feeding the mind. Because Creativity isn’t a talent, bestowed upon precious few of us. It’s a trainable muscle that we all have, and that we can all apply. Let’s learn how!

** Let's Connect **

🌐 Visit Simon's website

📷 Follow Simon on Instagram

📩 Read The ⁠⁠Weekly Parent Newsletter⁠⁠

📥 ⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠ to The Weekly Parent

📷 Follow Kiyah on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠

** Key Takeaways **

• Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised.
• Big C creativity refers to traditional artistic expressions, while little c creativity is everyday problem-solving.
• Encouraging a growth mindset helps children embrace challenges.
• Practice makes progress, not perfection.
• Fear of failure can paralyze creativity, especially in adolescents.
• Positive reinforcement is crucial in nurturing creativity in students.
• The zone of proximal development is where growth happens.
• Modeling creativity for children is essential for their development.
• Creativity can manifest in various forms, not just the arts.
• Daily creative practices can help maintain a growth mindset.
• Limiting screen time can enhance children's creativity, because it often results in boredom (which is essential for creative thinking.)
• Creative acts can help reduce stress in children.
• Engaging in creative activities can slow cortisol production.
• It's important to recognize what excites and interests children.
• Creativity can manifest in various forms, not just traditional art.

** Chapters **

00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties

01:06 Pop Culture References and Personal Connections

01:13 Exploring Creativity: Big C vs. Little C

03:31 The Importance of Practice in Creativity

08:31 Fostering Creativity in Middle Schoolers

12:39 Navigating the Fear of Failure

16:52 The Rise of Anxiety in Young People

17:49 Navigating Emotional Resilience

18:49 The Role of Creativity in Education

20:23 Practicing Creativity and Overcoming Self-Doubt

23:20 The Importance of Daily Creative Habits

25:18 Modeling Creativity for Children

28:56 The Impact of Screens on Creativity

33:03 Managing Stress and Anxiety in Kids

38:44 Exploring Creative Outlets for Children

39:48 Embracing Curiosity in Parenting

42:19 The Power of Online Learning

44:19 Understanding the Reality of Creativity

47:09 The Importance of Just Starting

** About **

Simon Adams has been drawing forever and makes every kind of art. For the past several years he has been living the dream inspiring middle schoolers to embrace their inner artist. In his free time, he can also be found creating illustrations for fantasy and science fiction role-playing games, working for companies like Gygax magazine, Rogue Blade Games, and Art of the Genre. He also does portraits of people and their pets. Simon lives in 200 year old Maine farmhouse with his wife, kids, and two cats.

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

What happens when science meets the messy reality of food, cravings, and parenting? In this episode, Dr. Kiyah sits down with Emily Brown, MS, RDN and certified Intuitive Eating Coach, to dive into intuitive and mindful eating: what they mean, why they matter, and how they collide with everything from childhood snacks to adolescent body image. With honesty and humor, Emily shares how curiosity (not guilt) can transform the way we eat and the way our kids see us at the table.

** Key Takeaways **

- Intuitive eating helps individuals connect with their body's needs.

- Mindful eating focuses on being present during meals.

- Curiosity about food preferences can lead to better eating habits.

-It's important to model healthy eating behaviors for children.

-Food should be seen as nourishment and enjoyment, not guilt.

- The science supports intuitive eating for better mental health.

- Consistency in eating helps regulate hunger signals.

- Parents should create a safe space for children to discuss food.

- Body image concerns are common during adolescence.

- Support from a dietitian can aid in the intuitive eating journey.

** Let’s Connect! **

🌐 Visit Emily's website

🎧 Listen to Emily's Podcast

📖 Read Her Recommended Books

📩 Read The ⁠⁠Weekly Parent Newsletter⁠⁠

📥 ⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠ to The Weekly Parent

** Chapters **

00:00 Navigating the Challenges of Motherhood and Nutrition

01:58 Understanding Intuitive Eating vs. Mindful Eating

10:44 The Science Behind Mindful and Intuitive Eating

15:34 Curiosity and Self-Discovery in Eating Habits

19:54 Meal Planning Strategies for Different Needs

23:38 Teaching Kids About Food and Intuitive Eating

29:05 Navigating Body Image Conversations with Teens

33:55 Creating a Safe Space for Open Conversations

37:38 Resources for Mindful Eating and Nutrition Education

**** ABOUT ****

Emily Bown is a non-diet, weight-inclusive Registered (and Licensed) Dietitian and certified intuitive eating coach who helps people improve their relationship with food and their bodies through compassionate and inclusive nutrition practices. She believes wellness and eating disorder treatments occur best through love, empathy, and compassion. She has worked in a diversity of places including residential eating disorder facilities, outpatient facilities, the Women Infant and Child Governmental Nutrition Program, as well as several substance abuse rehab and mental health facilities.

She serves on the board of the Orange County chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and is a member of the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians.

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

In this solo episode, Dr. Kiyah unpacks the surprising ways your parenting style might be messing with your kid’s eating habits. Because, it’s not just about what’s on their plate that matters for creating life-long healthier eaters ... it’s about the tone you set, the rules you make (or don’t), and the baggage you bring from your own food past. Are you ready?

** Resources Mentioned **

Learn more about Ellen Satter

Buy How to Raise a Mindful Eater

Stop Picky Eating with the CHATT Framework

Learn more about focusing on HOW you feed, not just what

** Let's Connect **

📩 Read the Newsletter: https://theweeklyparent.com

📷 Follow Dr. Kiyah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiyahduffey/

** Key Takeaways **

- What actually has the biggest influence is your parenting.

- Parenting style is shaped by your beliefs, upbringing, and stress levels.

- Authoritative parenting is characterized by high warmth and high control.

- Kids raised in authoritative households have better self-regulation and higher fruit intake.

- Meals are powerful opportunities for learning about boundaries and independence.

- Your parenting style is influenced by your own upbringing and experiences with food.

- Becoming aware of inherited patterns is the first step to change.

- Setting clear boundaries about food can help children learn to trust themselves.

- Consistency in feeding practices is crucial for developing healthy eating habits.

- Feeding our family is hard, but it can lead to deeper connections.

** Chapters **

00:00 The Influence of Parenting on Eating Habits

01:38 Understanding Parenting Styles

04:45 Parenting Styles and Meal Time Dynamics

07:29 The Impact of Parenting Styles on Children's Eating Behaviors

09:21 Inherited Patterns and Their Effects

11:04 Practical Strategies for Shifting Parenting Approaches

13:39 Resources for Further Learning

** About **

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

In this episode, Kiyah speaks with Robin Fivush, a professor emeritus of psychology, about the significance of family stories in shaping identity, memory, and emotional well-being. They explore how storytelling plays a crucial role in the development of adolescents, the importance of validating emotions, and the impact of intergenerational narratives. The discussion also touches on the challenges of parenting in today's digital age and the necessity of community support in fostering healthy family dynamics.

** Connect & Follow **

Read Robyn's Blog on Psychology Today

Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Weekly Parent Newsletter⁠⁠

Follow Dr. Kiyah on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠at her website⁠

** Key Takeaways **

- Family stories are essential for identity formation.

- Stories help individuals make sense of their experiences.

- Adolescents benefit from hearing their parents' stories.

- Validation of feelings is crucial in family storytelling.

- Intergenerational narratives provide models for understanding relationships.

- Community support enhances family storytelling.

- Stories are not static; they evolve over time.

- Listening to children's stories is as important as telling your own.

- Difficult stories can be shared mindfully and appropriately.

- Parents should not fear sharing challenges with their children.

** Chapters **

00:00 Introduction to Family Narratives

02:37 Understanding Family Stories

07:55 The Role of Stories in Identity Formation

12:36 Supporting Adolescents Through Storytelling

17:18 The Importance of Emotional Context in Stories

19:41 Intergenerational Narratives and Their Impact

23:07 The Role of Community in Storytelling

23:47 Navigating Identity in Adolescence

26:44 Overcoming Social Isolation and Its Effects

27:37 Reintroducing Storytelling in Education

28:52 Digital Lives: The Impact of Online Engagement

30:18 Navigating Social Media and Real-Life Interactions

31:33 The Importance of Listening and Validation

33:39 Dealing with Loss and Family Narratives

35:33 Sharing Difficult Stories: A Delicate Balance

37:42 The Role of Intergenerational Narratives

39:11 Mindful Storytelling: Relax and Embrace It

41:40 Validation: A Key to Understanding

44:47 The Importance of Science in Family Well-Being

** Keywords **

#familystories #identityformation #identity #storytelling, #emotionalwellbeing #intergenerationalnarratives #adolescentdevelopment #community #communitysupport #validation #trauma #parenting

In this week’s episode of The Weekly Parent, Kiyah digs into the power of words at the dinner table. From turning “I don’t like this” into real feedback, to showing how naming emotions reshapes memories and builds resilience, this episode is all about why mealtime talk matters.

** Free Resources **

📥 Descriptive Terms for Mealtime: https://bit.ly/mealtime-terms

🥦 Guide to Picky Eating: https://drkiyahduffey.com/picky-eating/

✅ Meal Planning Cheatsheet: https://drkiyahduffey.com/meal-planning-tips-2/

😋 50 Snack Ideas (for You AND Your Kids): https://drkiyahduffey.com/50-snack-ideas/

** Let's Connect! **

📩 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/weeklyparent

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiyahduffey/

** About **

Dr. Kiyah Duffey, a celebrated nutrition expert with a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and founder of Kizingo, leverages her 20 years of experience to parents towards fostering healthier food habits in themselves and their children. As a mother of three and a globally recognized speaker and entrepreneur, she combines personal insight and professional expertise to help you transform your family’s relationship with food.

** Takeaways **

Using words to describe feelings can change emotional processing.

Descriptive language helps children articulate their experiences.

Family meals contribute to higher self-esteem and better academic performance.

Talking through experiences can reshape memories and reduce distress.

Regular family meals foster stronger family connections and lower stress levels.

Children learn to express their preferences through descriptive feedback.

Engaging in family storytelling builds resilience and identity.

Modeling emotional awareness is crucial for children's development.

Using descriptive terms at meals enhances vocabulary and understanding.

Creating a safe space for sharing stories strengthens family bonds.

** Chapters **

00:00 The Power of Words in Parenting

02:08 Using Descriptive Language at the Dinner Table

05:39 Memory Reconsolidation and Emotional Processing

08:35 The Importance of Family Meals

10:09 Practical Tips for Engaging Conversations

** Keywords **

#parenting #communication #familymeals #emotionalintelligence #resilience #childdevelopment #descriptivelanguage #memory #storytelling #familyconnection