ScreenStrong Families
After her oldest son, Adam, dropped out of college due to his video game addiction, Melanie Hempe, BSN, put her nursing degree and training from Emory University to good use and founded ScreenStrong. It’s her mission to create educational programs for kids and parents so no one will experience the pain of screen addiction. Her ability to simplify medical science and provide practical solutions for families has allowed her to share her passion and bold screen solutions nationally. ScreenStrong has won the hearts of many families who are preventing and reversing childhood screen conflicts and addiction.
Host of the popular weekly ScreenStrong Families Podcast, Melanie has been featured in Psychology Today, Thrive-Global, The Wall Street Journal, A&E Network, CBS, CNN, NPR, the documentary Screened Out, and various news and television outlets. Her ScreenStrong Kids’ Brains and Screens Courses are available for parents and students. Her four books include, “Kids’ Brains & Screens: A ScreenStrong Student Course,” “Will Your Gamer Survive College?” “Can Your Teen Survive—and Thrive—Without a Smartphone?” and “The ScreenStrong Solution: How to Free Your Child from Addictive Screen Habits.”
ScreenStrong Families
Life Skills, Not Screen Skills with Katie Kimball of Kids Cook Real Food (#248)
In today’s episode, ScreenStrong Ambassador Liaison and host Mandee Hamann welcomes Katie Kimball, founder of Kids Cook Real Food
and two-time TEDx speaker, for an inspiring conversation about helping kids build real life skills in a world obsessed with screens.
As a mom of four, teacher, and creator of the #LifeSkillsNow summer camps, Katie has helped thousands of families empower their kids to cook, clean, and take responsibility for their daily lives—all while bringing families closer together around healthy food and meaningful work.
Mandee and Katie dive into:
- Why life skills are essential for kids’ confidence and independence
- How screens are replacing valuable opportunities for hands-on learning
- Why risk-taking (yes, even with sharp knives and climbing trees!) is necessary for growth
- How busy families can find time to teach practical skills in everyday moments
- Ways to foster critical thinking and problem-solving—even before the “age of logic”
Whether you’re navigating the ScreenStrong 30-Day Detox or simply looking for ways to replace screen time with real-life learning, this episode will encourage and equip you to raise capable, confident kids who know how to thrive—no device required.
🎧 FREE Kids Cook Real Food resource for ScreenStrong audience
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you enjoy the episode. Your feedback helps us bring you more of the content you love. Stay Strong!
- Get your copy of the BRAND NEW Adventures of Super Brain book!
- Start your ScreenStrong Journey today!
- Check out our Kids' Brains & Screens products.
- Want to help spread the ScreenStrong message to your community? Consider becoming a ScreenStrong Ambassador!
ScreenStrong Tech Recommendations
- Canopy—Device Filter (use code STRONG for discount)
Production Team:
- Host: Melanie Hempe
- Producer & Audio Editor: Olivia Kernekin
