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 YouTube Channel for video episodes and shorts @thefamilylabpodcast, and find us on Instagram @familylabpodcast. You can also find us at familylabpodcast.com.

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 setting goals.

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, interviewing my Grandma in her home

Grandmas Say the Darndest Things:

A video of Donna's great grandchildren repeating some of her famous sayings. I made this video for her 95th birthday party.

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 Quimby deliberately schedules down time.

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 up and then carve out the time for it.

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 buying from these links helps support my podcast!)

Hudson (14):

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Ground Zero, by Alan Gratz

Jacob (15):

Magic Treehouse Series, by Mary Pope Osborne

Halloween Party by Agatha Christie

Slacker series by Gordon Korman

Katie (13):

Resistance by Jennifer A Nielson

A Night Divided by Jennifer A Nielson

The False Prince and the rest of the Ascendant series by Jennifer A Nielson

Abel (15):

Michael Vey series by Richard Paul Evans

Aiden (16):

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls

Percy Jackson Series, by Rick Riordan

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss

The House of Months and Years

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Claire (12):

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Anything by Gordon Korman

Lydia (8):

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Stuart Little by E.B. White

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Heidi (10):

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar

Catwad by Jim Benton

The Odd 1s Out by James Rallison

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Ezra (9):

James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

Holes, by Louis Sachar

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

Whitney:

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Masterminds, by Gordon Korman

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Anne of Green Gables Series by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

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 how to gain the confidence to make big changes.

For more from Heather, check out elavare.com or watch her podcast on YouTube

Past episodes about motherhood and work:

How She Dismantles the Mommy Wars

What She Calls Herself

How She Transitions To Motherhood: Work

How Ashley Freehan Works from Home

How She Outsources

How She Identifies Her Passions

How Wendy and Alex Pursue Their Passions (Flamenco and Podcasting)

How Leslie Graff Pursues Her Passions (Artist, Child Life Specialist, Mother)

How Nancy Maldonado Pursues Her Passions (helping underserved communities)

Listener Survey

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 (through April 30 2025, then resuming in September)

Join Whitney in her virtual studio to share ideas, solve problems, craft experiments, chat about past and future episodes, or just drop in to say hi!

https://riverside.fm/studio/listener-ideas?t=880793c622433a15fcce

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 (through April 30 2025, then resuming in September)

Join Whitney in her virtual studio to share ideas, solve problems, craft experiments, chat about past and future episodes, or just drop in to say hi!

https://riverside.fm/studio/listener-ideas?t=880793c622433a15fcce

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 2025, then resuming in September)

Join Whitney in her virtual studio to share ideas, solve problems, craft experiments, chat about past and future episodes, or just drop in to say hi!

https://riverside.fm/studio/listener-ideas?t=880793c622433a15fcce

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 them for years, and this is finally our year. This will be our main family experiment for April and I'm excited to kick it off with this episode. We'll talk about why it's important for kids to help around the house, how to teach them to do so, and of course we'll have some experiments for you to try.

Other episodes about teaching kids to clean:

Lab: Teaching Kids to "Notice and Do" with Sam Kelly

How Maria Kemp Teaches Her Kids to Work--On a Ranch

How Emily Teaches Kids to Work

How She Motivates Kids to Work

How To Teach Kids to Be Tidy

How To Teach Kids to Clean

Workshop: How She Shares Family Work: Part 1

Workshop: How She Shares Family Work: Part 2

Weekly Open Lab: Wednesdays at 10 am MT (through April 30 2025, then resuming in September)

Join Whitney in her virtual studio to share ideas, solve problems, craft experiments, chat about past and future episodes, discuss this quarter's book, or just drop in to say hi!

https://riverside.fm/studio/listener-ideas?t=880793c622433a15fcce