PODCAST · kids
The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management
by Whitney Archibald
Whitney Archibald, a mother of five, is on a quest to find out how different moms connect with their kids and manage their homes. She collects parenting and home management ideas so can you take them home to your own family laboratory and experiment like a mad scientist. We cover practical topics like chores, allowance, life skills, meal prep, family fun, technology, health, home management, family systems, and connection.
Episodes
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Mastering Survival Mode (and Learning to Thrive)
In some ways, this podcast episode saved my life. It was the last podcast interview I did before my rock-climbing accident, and I used it as a lifeline during my recovery. Hopefully your versions of survival mode are not as extreme as mine, but this episode is a blueprint for the continuous cycle...
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Mini-Lab: To-Do-Lists
Five experiments to help you organize your to-do list, focus on the task at hand, and get things done! To follow along in the Family Lab app, try it free for a month at familylab.lovable.app.
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Archibald and Smiley Experiments: Summer 2026
A quarterly update on the experiments we've been trying in the Archibald home, with guest Andi Smiley to share her own summer experiments with her kids (5,7, and 9). We talk about experiments - and the lack thereof—eating in while on vacation, road tripping, chores, finding each kid's currency,...
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Bonus Episode: Ring That Barbershop Chord (podcast competition entry)
I did a scary thing and entered a podcast competition for a show I love, Twenty Thousand Hertz. I didn't win, but I wanted to put this out into the world anyway! Do something that scares you (at least a little bit) today!
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How We Run the Archibald Home: Now with an App!
I made an app! This summer I organized all of our family systems and organization into one app to help teach my kids skills, manage our home, distribute labor, and keep track of fun things like traditions, favorite things, and bucket lists. In this episode I talk about how we run our home and how...
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Patchwork Parenting: Learning from Motherhood Mentors
Motherhood is a team sport. We need coaches, heroes, teammates, both in the game and on the bench, ready to come in. In this episode, I share lessons from some of my earliest motherhood mentors, from how to pursue your passions to how to keep kids from making such a mess.
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Motherhood: A Hero's Journey
Everyone always says moms are true heroes, but is it true? Big surprise, I think motherhood is the quintessential hero's journey. This episode explores the idea of the adventure of motherhood, dragon-slaying and all.
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Top 20 Cleaning Games
Everything is more fun with a game—even household chores. I've always invented cleaning games, with my siblings, for myself, and with my own kids. So I thought I'd share my Top 20.
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How Whitney and Molly Teach Kids About Money
My friend Molly Liggett and I talk about the many experiments we've tried over the last decade or so to help our kids learn how to manage money. We talk about allowance vs. paying per chore, and we get into the nitty gritty details about how much we pay our kids, what we expect them to do around...
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Financial Education with Lauren Santagate
This month at the Family Lab, we're teaching kids how to manage money. This week, we talked to Lauren Santagate of The Anti-Chore Moms about her family's financial system: how her kids earn, spend, save, and invest using the Greenlight card. Lauren explains her system of paying her kids when they...
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The Family Economy with Richard Eyre
It's Money Management month at the Family Lab, and we're kicking it off with author Richard Eyre to talk about the family economy he and his wife Linda set up decades ago. In this episode, we talk about how to avoid raising entitled children and about why teaching kids to manage money is such a...
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Potty Training: Don't Be Afraid
Potty training sounds scary, but it can actually be a great time to connect with your kid and build their confidence and self reliance. Today's guest is a firecracker of a human--Jamie Glowacki. She's a potty training expert who wrote the book I wish I had when I was potty training, called Oh…
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How to Get Your Kids To Brush Their Teeth: Oral Hygiene Skills
We're talking oral hygiene! My friend and our family dental hygienist, Megan Robbins, teaches us how to help our kids keep their teeth sparkly clean, including a demo with some giant choppers—so you might want to watch this one on YouTube rather than just listening. She'll answer some of your...
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Don't Be the Smelly Kid: Teaching Body Hygiene
Kids can be gross. And as parents, we're their first line of defense to teach them how to wash those hands, scrub those stinky feet, wipe those bums, control their body odor, trim those toenails–all the things. To help us out, I invited my good friends Megan Robbins (a dental hygienist and one of...
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Archibald Experiments Fall/Winter 2025-26
It's that time again, for an update of the experiments we've been trying in the Archibald home. In this edition, I talk about our latest new kitchen-cleaning system, our weekly family cleaning projects, our dinner menu system, monthly check-ins with the kids, family meetings, a college tour, fall...
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Teaching Kids Self-Reliance
Welcome to Season 8! This whole season we'll be talking about how to teach our kids to eventually take care of themselves on their way to becoming self-reliant, responsible adults. This episode will help you take the first step: evaluating what your kids are already taking charge of and where…
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Top 5 Christmas Traditions: A Teen Perspective
Ever wonder which of your holiday traditions are actually the most meaningful to your kids? For this episode, I went straight to the source and I asked five (incredible) teenagers what traditions they love the best: from that pesky elf to the jolly old elf himself, family bonding and family…
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Beyond the Bins: Home Organization Strategy with Jen Martin
A conversation with organization genius Jen Martin, founder of Reset Your Nest, about how to align our home organization with our goals, values, and routines; how to set up different organizational zones in our kitchens; and how to create systems for our comings and goings, among other organizing...
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Zoom Out: Thinking Strategically about Household Systems
Stuck in the never-ending logistics of running a home? It's time to shift to a strategy-first perspective so you can build systems that work. This episode talks about how to shift your thinking. Hence, you start with a strategy, then consider all the different tactics that could accomplish your...
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Emotional Regulation with Emily Hamblin
Tired of meltdowns? And I'm not just talking about your kids! Emily Hamblin is here to help us deal with our big emotions and teach our kids to deal with theirs. She gives practical tips about how to talk to our kids about their emotions, how to identify the skills they're lacking, and how to…
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Top 5 Halloween Costumes, with the Dayton Sisters
Join a coven of Halloween experts--my mother and her three sisters--for a costume parade through history as they reminisce and share photos about Halloweens past. We talk about the antics of my Grandpa, the Halloween king, and his legacy of papier mache and discuss useful skills like how to black...
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Archibald (and McGavin) Experiments: Summer 2025
My friend Ashley McGavin and I share all the experiments we tried this summer–in Ashley's case with a brand new baby! We talk about feeding kids in the summer, keeping them entertained, summer jobs, chores, personal development, a senior trip, and how to achieve a throwback 80s and 90s summer. We...
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Top 5 Rollover Meals
What's for dinner tonight? How about tomorrow? This episode helps you answer both questions--with favorite rollover meals from me and my guests Andrea Clark and Hillary Hess. Rollover meals allow you to take parts of one meal and roll it into another meal, to save time, money, and the tedium of...
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Archibald Experiments: Back to School Roundup
Archibald Experiments: Back to School Routine Roundup https://youtu.be/vRngguIVeas Transitioning from a lazy summer schedule to a back to school routine is no joke. So I went through past podcast episodes looking for experiments we've tried here in the Archibald home to make our morning…
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Encore: How Dana Declutters
Dana K. White is a decluttering expert for the rest of us. The ones who struggle. We discuss her decluttering process, her Cinderella story from slob to home management guru, clutter thresholds, and teaching our kids to declutter (or at least attempting to).
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Encore: How Mary Parents Spicy Ones
Mary Van Geffen is spicy. Which is why she's made it her mission as a parenting coach to help parents understand their own spicy children. In this episode, Mary teaches how to manage our own reactions as we parent these amazing kids.
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Encore: How Bryce Manages Mom Guilt
Bryce Reddy is a family therapist specializing in maternal mental health, and one of the most quotable people I've ever interviewed. In this eisode, she shares her insights about mom guilt, judgement, and how we can support each other.
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Encore: How Jessica Jackson Goes from Surviving to Thriving
Jessica Jackson's framework for transitioning from surviving to thriving might just transform your whole way of looking at motherhood and life (because survival mode isn't exclusive to motherhood). Best of all, Jessica has given me words to describe the transition from survival mode to re-entry…
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Encore: How She Manages Family Photos
This week, we discuss the challenge of managing family photos and its importence. Various moms share their insights into how they organize their pictures. At the Family Lab we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video episodes and shorts...
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Encore: How She Cultivates Talents
This week, we discuss the balance of cultivating children's talents while also allowing them to explore and fail, sharing insights on prioritizing activities and knowing when to push or let go. At the Family Lab, we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube...
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Encore: How Maria Makes It Fun
Maria Eckersley shares her insights on navigating motherhood, family traditions, and creating fun meaningful connections with your kids. At the Family Lab, we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video episodes and shorts @thefamilylabpodcast,...
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Encore: How She Travels
This week, we navigate the challenges of traveling with kids, discussing the joys that come with family travel, and various strategies that make it more enjoyable. At the Family Lab, we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video episodes and...
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Encore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2020
A recap of the experiments in the Archibald home in the summer of 2020, including meal planning, cooking, chores, screen time, music lessons and read alouds. At the Family Lab we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video episodes and shorts...
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Encore: How Andrea Davis Manages Technology
Andrea Davis shares how her family has learned to navigate technology within her home, from phones to TV usage. At the Family Lab, we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video episodes and shorts @thefamilylabpodcast, and find us on Instagram...
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Encore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2021
Recap of the experiments in the Archibald home in the summer of 2021 when my kids were 5-15. We talk about developing interests and talents, cooking class, chores, screentime, and a neighborhood concert. At the Family Lab we investigate all things parenting and home management. Subscribe to our...
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Encore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2022
Throwback to the experiments we did at the Archibald home in the Summer of 2022--with each of my kids as special guests. They talk about what they tried that summer and how it all went, including summer jobs, hosting Lego Camp, fighting boredom, facing fears, family vacations, screen time, and...
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Encore: How Donna (Whitney's Grandma) Mommed Back in the Day
Happy 95th birthday Grandma! In honor of this delightful, hilarious, loving woman, I'm re-releasing this episode where my grandma talks about motherhood (and life) in the 50s and 60s. If you can't get enough Donna, here are a couple of YouTube links: Home: A beautiful video my cousins made,...
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Encore: How She Takes Care of Herself Part 2
Three moms share self-care tactics beyond spa days and manicures. KaeCee Reed focuses on sleep and hobbies, and works with her husband to make sure both of their needs are met. Brittney Smart got out of a mothering slump by spending one-on-one time to get to know her kids bettter. And Andrea…
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Encore: How She Takes Care of Herself
Myth: Moms are bad at self care. Truth: Moms are bad at prioritizing self care. In fact, moms have honed their caregiving skills caring for others; now all they have to do is apply those same skills to themselves. This episode is chock full of experiments you can try to figure out what fills you…
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Top 5 Summer Reads for Kids
Nothing like curling up under a tree with a good book! This episode is full of summer reading recommendations from kids for kids--with a good mix of avid and reluctant readers ages 8-16 with interests spanning all the genres. Here's a list of all the recommendations: (I'm an Amazon affiliate, so...
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Re-entering the Workforce with Heather Nemelka
Ready for a career change? Wondering what to do in the next stage of your life? Heather Nemelka to the rescue! In this episode we talk about how to transition back to a traditional job after focusing on caregiving and home management, how to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, and…
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How Whitney Experiments Spring 2025
Latest update on the experiments in the Archibald home--from new milestones to sleep habits to meal planning to morning routines. Listener survey HERE! I'd love your input for next season. Plus, I'll send you a free Independent Kids Self-Evaluation. Weekly Open Lab: Wednesdays at 10 am MT…
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Designing Your Family Culture with Family Looking Up
We're bringing the band back together! The podcasters formerly known as Family Looking Up--Andrea Nielson, Beth Millward, and Camille Ward--reunite to talk about their unique family cultures and how to be deliberate as you design your own. Weekly Open Lab: Wednesdays at 10 am MT (through April 30...
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Teaching Kids to Clean, with Joy Williams
Spring is in the air, and it's time to open the windows, grab the cleaning supplies and get 'er done--with the help of our guest Joy Williams. Joy has developed a whole series of step-by-step guides to help kids (and adults) learn how to clean every room in the house. I've been meaning to try…
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Top 5 Family Movies
This week, I invited my four siblings--Cassie Gadd, Brad Singley, Brett Singley, and Hayley Kirkland--into the studio to talk about our top family movies. We intended to each share 5 favorite movies from our childhood and then in our own families, but we definitely got carried away. I'm going to...
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Book Club: The Art of Gathering Part 3 (Chapters 4-8)
Time to tackle larger events, like weddings, funerals, family reunions, and community events! In this third installment, we talk about the structure of events, from the invitations to the send off. This week Whitney is joined by Angela Halliday and Debbie Siebert. The book we've been discussing…
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Making Friends, with Elise Caffee
On March 6, 2025, Elise Caffee was in a terrible car accident in Cancun. The car she was in was hit by an asphalt truck, and she was rescued, but severely burned. Since this was published, Elise passed away from her injuries. You can find more of her story at instagram.com/elisecaffeeupdates I...
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Discovering Your Parenting Superpowers, with Maria Eckersley
So you have never been a room mom. (Guilty!) Look how many books you read with your kids, or magnificent meals you made, or epic hikes you went on. In this episode Maria Eckersley and Whitney Archibald talk about the tradeoffs that come with discovering and leaning into our superpowers. You can't...
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Top 5 Tech Tools, with Sami Bedell-Mulhern
How do you run your family calendar? Manage projects around the house? Keep track of kids' money? Whitney and guest Sami Bedell-Mulhern talk about the top 5 tech tools they use to help their homes run smoothly. Weekly Open Lab: Wednesdays at 10 am MT (through April 30 2025, then resuming in...
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The Family Lab Philosophy
This week I boil down the Family Lab philosophy into ten different ideas--mostly things I've learned the hard way through lots of first-hand experimentation. Here are some links for things I mention in the episode: Open Studio Wednesdays at 10:00 MDT--Please join in! American Man, Age 10 by Susan...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Whitney Archibald, a mother of five, is on a quest to find out how different moms connect with their kids and manage their homes. She collects parenting and home management ideas so can you take them home to your own family laboratory and experiment like a mad scientist. We cover practical topics like chores, allowance, life skills, meal prep, family fun, technology, health, home management, family systems, and connection.
HOSTED BY
Whitney Archibald
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management have?
The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management currently has 183 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management about?
Whitney Archibald, a mother of five, is on a quest to find out how different moms connect with their kids and manage their homes. She collects parenting and home management ideas so can you take them home to your own family laboratory and experiment like a mad scientist. We cover practical topics...
How often does The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management release new episodes?
The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management publishes regularly with 183 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management?
The Family Lab: Experiments in Parenting and Home Management is created and hosted by Whitney Archibald.
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