Do you have a defiant child? Parenting Coach Katie Malinski LCSW role plays with Kate Raidt how to handle a defiant child.

Parenting teenagers can be a tough job! Parenting Coach Katie Malinski LCSW coaches a mother of five teenagers on the 3 keys to parenting teenagers successfully.

Parenting can be a very overwhelming job. Kate Raidt discusses with Dr. Jennifer Helmcamp and Dr. Patricia Nan Anderson a few key tips for parents to help make their job a little less stressful.

To vaccinate…or not to vaccinate? This has been a controversial question for many years. Pediatrician Jennifer Helmcamp shares some facts about vaccinations and discusses whether vaccinations are harmful or not.

Nutritionist Jill Castle shows you how to make this hearty, healthy calzone.

Servings: 1 calzone, 2 servings

What you need:

1 pre-made pizza dough

1 package of sliced turkey pepperoni

½ cup of skim milk ricotta cheese

1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 teaspoon dried basil

Heat the oven to 375 F. Separate the dough into two parts, and roll out each one into a thin circle, about the size of a dinner plate. Combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and the basil in a separate bowl. Layer ¼ of the pepperoni on one half of the dough round. Add ½ of the cheese mixture on top and spread; layer ¼ of the pepperoni on top. Fold over into a half circle and pinch edges together, securing further with the tines of a fork. Do the same with the remaining dough round, cheese and pepperoni. Place both calzones on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

Nutritionist Jill Castle shows you how to make this quick, healthy, colorful pasta dish!

Servings: 4-6

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

2, 15 ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1, 15 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 cups packed fresh baby spinach

1 pound linguine pasta

salt & pepper

parmesan cheese

Cook the linguine according to package directions. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juices) and artichoke hearts. Let simmer on low while the pasta cooks. Add salt and pepper to taste. Before you drain the cooked pasta, add the fresh spinach to the tomato sauce and stir; turn the heat off and let sit. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss the pasta with the tomatoes, artichoke and spinach. Top with parmesan cheese.

This delicious fruit smoothie is a nutritious way to get your fruit intake for the day!

Servings: 2 smoothies

What you need:

1 cup 100% juice (orange, clementine, apricot, etc)

1 cup frozen fruit (mango, pineapple, peaches, or mixture etc)

½ cup Greek vanilla yogurt

Add each ingredient to a blender and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

“Dad, can you take me to the game?  I need to be there in ten minutes.”

“Mom, can you drop me off at Maddie’s across town at 5pm and pick me up at 7:30?”

“I need a ride to the store to grab a poster board for my project due tomorrow.”

School assignments, social gatherings, sports, and after school activities all seem to be more abundant as your teen gets older.  With the number of places your teen needs to be and fewer teens acquiring their first license under age eighteen, how are students getting to and from their extracurricular events? That responsibility has fallen squarely in the laps of moms and dads.  

If constantly serving as a taxi isn’t appealing, you have an opportunity to transition the responsibility of getting to and from events to your teen. With each new task you give to your budding adult, you want to make sure they hear your heart and know the why behind this decision. It is important to make it clear that they are not an inconvenience to you. However, in their current way of thinking, they are relying on you to take them to and fro on a whim with little to no planning. This is not how life works. If they want you to take them somewhere, they need to ask respectfully, offer a way to clarify (note on the counter, family online calendar or app, weekly printed calendar on the fridge), and have a plan to get a ride in the other direction so you only have to do one trip. When you help them understand that until they have purchased their own car, they will have plenty of chances to work out their own transportation and you are just helping them get ahead of the curve by starting now.  

After you have explained the “why,” it is necessary to help them talk through the “how.” Amazingly, this is not obvious to all teens. Because they have always been driven to and from everything, they think that is just the way it is. Asking them to come up with ways they could get to a friend’s house and how they would work out each is a good indicator of their thinking. Some kids will mention walking or riding a bike. Some may think of the city bus, Uber or Lyft, or getting a ride with a friend. All of these are viable options, and helping your teen work through some scenarios based on the places they go most often will open their eyes to the possibilities. What if instead of coming home from school for fifteen minutes to grab their practice equipment, they took it to school and got a ride home with the student who lives within walking distance to the practice field? Instead of you driving them to the arena for a big concert (which will take you twice as long as normal based on the traffic) they arranged a meeting spot for everyone to get dropped off at a public transportation stop and they took the bus or train together to the event? When we put the responsibility on them to figure it out, they realize a little inconvenience on their part can save tons of time for others driving and can possibly be fun.  

It is important to go over family rules and guidelines about who they are and are not allowed to ride with. If your state has a graduated license program, be familiar with it, and let your teen know what the law is and how they are held accountable. They can only ride with a friend if that friend has the legal ability to drive other teens. This is a good time to cover drinking and driving and to offer that if your teen is ever in a situation where they need a ride to avoid riding with someone who is under the influence, you would willingly come pick them up with no further consequences.  This can be a life-saving conversation.  

Teaching your teen to work out their own transportation is a life skill that will serve them well. If our goal is to work ourselves out of a job, this is just one of many steps in that process. Each responsibility we shift from our plate to theirs brings them one step closer to becoming a well-functioning adult. 

Spending time with your children preparing food offers the chance to bond, all the while being creative. Both the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association suggest that getting kids involved with grocery shopping and food prep can reduce picky eating. If you are looking for ways to get your children involved in the kitchen, here is a break down of great ideas for every age. 

Cooking with Kiddos Under Three

The first step to cooking with little ones is setting up a safe cooking environment. Once you’ve put away to sharp, hot, heavy, or otherwise hazardous items, you’re ready. Cooking with children this age is an opportunity to teach your child about food and familiarise them with the kitchen environment.

Here are some activities very young children will enjoy:

• Washing vegetables – this is a great way of teaching them the names of vegetables and sparking an interest which will hopefully encourage them to try different foods
• Stirring ingredients – they should be at room temperature
• Spooning ingredients into scales or measuring cups – you’ll need to help!

Another way to keep young children occupied is to give them plastic containers and utensils to wash in the sink – this can provide lengthy entertainment while you cook.

Cooking with Preschoolers

Children in this age range are often able to follow multi-step directions and have increased motor skills, but trust your knowledge of your child as skills can still vary greatly at this age. Pick recipes you know that you and your child can complete safely. 5 to 10 minutes might be all your child wants to spend on an activity. Start small and keep it fun.

Here are some activities preschool-aged children will enjoy:

• Cutting soft ingredients e.g. butter, mushrooms, strawberries using a strong plastic knife
• Breading and flouring – you can set up three stations with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs for fish sticks
• Tearing and squashing – tearing herbs and lettuce or squashing fruit
• Kneading – light kneading can be fun but you’ll need to step in to complete the task
• Rolling, shaping and cutting dough
• Adding ingredients into the bowl

Cooking with 6-8 Year Olds

Most children in this age range have developed fine motor skills, so they can handle more detailed work, but they will still need food safety reminders. Some children in this age-range will have the skills and control needed to carefully flip hot pancakes, while many others might not be there yet. Trust your judgement.

Here are some of the activities elementary-aged children will enjoy:

• Use a peeler to peel raw potatoes, ginger, mangoes and other washed fruits and vegetables.
• Break eggs into a bowl and remember to wash hands afterwards.
• Load the dishwasher.
• Shuck corn and rinse before cooking.
• Rinse and cut herbs with clean, blunt kitchen scissors.

Cooking with 9-12 Year Olds

There is a wide range of skills in this age group, so tailor your tasks to each individual’s maturity level. Many children of this age can work independently in the kitchen, but should still have adult supervision. Before letting these kids do grown-up tasks on their own, assess whether they can follow basic kitchen rules such as adjusting pan handles over counters to avoid bumping into them, unplugging electrical appliances, using knives and safely using the oven or microwave.

Here are some age-appropriate activities that, with continued adult supervision, older children will enjoy:

• Put leftovers into containers and refrigerate them
• Crack and beat eggs
• Slice, grate, or chop fruits, vegetables, and cheeses
• Check the temperature of meat with a food thermometer – it’s like a science experiment!
• Boil pasta
• Follow a recipe, including reading each step in order and measuring ingredients accurately
• Simmer ingredients on the stove

Cooking together can be a fun way to teach your child valuable skills, promote good nutrition and make long-lasting memories in the process.