Shows
The Ordinary Family#43: You Can Build a Marriage You Actually Want to Be In Using These 3 ToolsWhy would more time together feel like a threat—rather than a blessing? A great marriage isn’t luck or chemistry, it’s a set of deliberate skills anyone can develop.This episode uncovers the three revolutionary skills that shift your marriage from surviving to thriving: letting go of relationship manuals, owning your emotional responsibility, and choosing unconditional love and support. Coleman and Abby explain how giving up rigid expectations opens the door to deeper understanding, how taking responsibility for your emotions empowers you, and how love itself becomes a conscious act—not a feeling you wait...
2026-02-1945 min
The Ordinary Family#42: How To Stick To Your 2026 Goal (Without White Knuckling It)Hey Friends!Welcome to February, the month after the month when many of us embark on a new years resolution, and start getting after our goals.Unfortunately for many of us, February can feel depressing or downright discouraging because we’ve, “fallen off the wagon” or given up on our goals that only a month ago were creating excitement and anticipation for us.In this episode Abby and I will talk about how you can stick to your goals or resolutions without white knuckling it. All you need is a few tools and the wi...
2026-01-3056 min
The Ordinary Family#41: A Family Guide For Annual ReflectionI was hanging out with an old friend recently and telling him about Abby and my annual reflection practice. My friend said, “you do that with your wife?” and he sounded surprised.It was at this moment I realized what I thought was normal, was perhaps not normal for many people. A lot of people reflect on the year or make goals for the new year but they often do this exercise for work or for personal but aloneEvery year in December or January Abby and I go for a hike, date and reflect on t...
2026-01-2241 min
The Ordinary Family#40: That Punch in the Gut Feeling When You Don’t Agree - Tools for Hard ConversationsI know only a handful of people who aren’t intimidated or outright scared of having a hard conversation with someone.In fact this is a skill Abby and I are practicing this year. It’s something we’re much better at than we used to be but we’re still intimidated and scared about having a hard conversation.The good news is, anyone can have a hard conversation and not get completely taken out by it. All you need are a few tools in your tool belt and to develop the skills to do it.
2025-12-1141 min
The Ordinary Family#39: Family Holiday Traditions vs New ExperiencesThis episode first went live last year in December of 2024 and we’re publishing it again this year because people found it so inspiring to consider new experiences vs traditions!It’s the most wonderful time of the year!We love Thanksgiving and Christmas around here and we have some cherished family traditions that we look forward to every year.For some of you though, I know that the holidays can be a difficult time for you and this is where trying new experiences can be helpful. Too many of us sit...
2025-12-0445 min
The Ordinary Family#38: How To Manage Differences and Awkwardness With Family This Holiday SeaonThis episode first went live last year in November of 2024 and we’re publishing it again this year because people found it so helpful for navigating the holidays with family!If you are dreading the upcoming holidays because time with extended family often feels draining and awkward we recorded this episode just for you!Your hosts Coleman and Abby will share funny and painful stories from their extended family holidays with you and the tools they use now to keep themselves safe and sane when gathering with extended family over the holidays....
2025-11-2535 min
Launch Family PodcastLaunch Family Podcast Ep: 26 | Coleman HousefieldNew episode! Jessica Shelley + coach/dad of 3 Coleman Housefield unpack emotional awareness, co-regulation, and designing family environments that feel safe. Learn the “parenting pause,” real nervous-system regulation, and Nature Lab’s outdoor approach. #LaunchFamily #ParentingTips #EmotionalRegulation #CoRegulation #FamilyConnection--📌 Learn more about Launch Family:Website: http://launchfamily.com📱 Follow Us on SocialsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/launchfamily/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@launchfamilyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@launchfamilyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchfamilyBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/launchfamily.bsky.social Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/launchfamily/Follow Coleman on SocialsSubstack: https://colemanhousef...
2025-11-1248 min
The Ordinary Family#37: A Parenting Tool That Works For All - The Defiant, Compliant or Unmotivated ChildWe (Abby and I) recently hit one of those parenting walls where our strategies and tools that had worked well up to this point were not working anymore.We believe in the power of contribution in our home and in our family. Society and humans are better when we’re connected and contributing, not just to ourselves but to each other.But lately, the house has been a mess more often than not. Chores were not getting done and all the ways that Abby and I were trying to encourage, motivate, and get our kids to...
2025-11-0650 min
The Ordinary Family#36: The Physical Foundations Of Emotional RegulationYou can make regulating your nervous system easier by taking better care of your physical body.If you know how to drop into your body and process your emotions, bringing your nervous system back to regulation but you’re not sleeping at night, you’re going to have to work a lot harder to regulate your emotions.If you can take 10 minutes and do a thought download to observe your thoughts and get to know yourself better but you’re not regularly and consistently moving your physical body, regulating your emotions will be much harder to do...
2025-10-3048 min
The Ordinary Family#35: This Is Quietly Damaging Your RelationshipsHave you ever found yourself keeping track of your spouse’s shortcomings? Or waiting for them to change so you can finally relax, feel loved, or be okay?If you’ve ever thought:They make me feel anxiousorIf they’d just listen better, I wouldn’t get so upset.It’s likely that you too are plagued by this very common mindset in relationships.I know we (me and Abby) have been plagued by this mindset, especially in the first decade of our marriage a...
2025-09-2653 min
The Ordinary Family#34: How Sam Went From Emotional Avoidance To RegulationWhat if emotions aren’t as messy and unpredictable as we think they are?What if the way your emotions work could be rationally and logically explained?And what if you could completely change your life by learning how to interpret and regulate your emotions?This is exactly what my coaching client, Sam did! Listen now to hear his story.Have a question or comment to share?We would love to hear from you!You can send us an email at:ordinaryfamilyshow@gmail.comWant to...
2025-09-041h 00
The Ordinary Family#33: Selflessness: The Surprising Reason Relationships StruggleAbby and I argued for years over one, surprising thing: to avoid having an impact on the other person that wasn’t purely positive.Wait, what?! Why would we fight about this?Because we were both trying to be selfless. We really wanted to serve the other person and take care of them and in the process we stopped taking care of ourselves (because wasn’t that the other person’s job now that we are married?)So we stopped asking for things we wanted, like time alone or time with other friends (withou...
2025-08-2846 min
The Ordinary Family#32: The Year She Grows Up - Rites Of Passage With Our KidsWhat was it like for you growing up?Did you feel like you were adequately prepared and supported as you transitioned from being a child to growing into an adult?What about life skills? As an adult did you find that you knew how to manage yourself and your life so you could feel at peace and safe no matter what happens?Were you given autonomy and agency as you entered your teenage years or did your parents tighten the reigns of control over you even more?Whatever your experience, I...
2025-08-0948 min
A Slice of EmpathyNavigating Adult Friendships: Seasons, Change, and Growth with Coleman HousefieldIn this episode, we sit down with Coleman Housefield, a seasoned marriage and family coach, to explore the intricacies of adult friendships and how they evolve through different life stages. Coleman shares valuable insights on the natural progression of friendships, emphasizing that relationships often align with different seasons of our lives.
We dive into the importance of emotional responsibility in marriage and how taking ownership of our emotions can transform not only our romantic relationships but also our interactions with friends and family. Coleman provides actionable advice for fighting fair in relationships and nurturing connections that reflect...
2025-06-2950 min
The Ordinary Family#31: The 3 Most Effective Ways To Survive The Baby And Toddler SeasonAbby and I are no longer in the baby and toddler season of parenting but we remember it fondly and with a lot of pain. 😂It wasn’t until our 3rd and final child was a toddler that we started practicing the most important skill and man, it made all the difference. Before that we were often blown by the winds of chaos when our first two daughters were babies and toddlers because we didn’t know how to do it any other way. In this episode we’ll share how you can survive and even feel...
2025-06-2045 min
The Ordinary Family#30: The Venting Trap - Why Complaining Doesn't Help (Even Though It Feels Better)Are you a ventaholic (yes, we made up a word)?Do you enjoy a good vent session? I know I do. 😬Do you find yourself venting about the same things, people, challenges over and over again?IT’S A TRAP! 🪤Venting is a trap. We find ourselves eating tasty treats but after we’re done venting nothing has actually changed (in the real world) unless we do something about it. So we stay stuck in the venting cycle which has non trivial downsides to it.If you’re curious and want to...
2025-06-1239 min
The Ordinary Family#29: We Wear Tiredness Like A Shield, Let's Go DeeperWhen’s the last time you heard or said, “I’m really tired” or maybe, “why am I so tired today?”How about when someone asks how you’re doing and you answer, “Tired”.We wear tiredness like a shield and saying we’re tired often lets us opt out of naming what’s really, truly going on for us.In this episode Abby and I get personal, sharing our own stories of shielding ourselves with “tired” instead of admitting that we’re feeling lonely or mentally drained.We’ll share some of the tools we use to he...
2025-06-0539 min
The Ordinary Family#28: Making A Change This Summer? Use These Tools To Stick To It!What if you could put something on your calendar or decide to do it and know that it was as good as done?!When we first heard this phrase, it was irritating. Sounds nice, like a fairytale land for people without children!Then we started doing our own work and both of us have worked with professionals (therapists and coaches) to help us grow.And we realized, it’s totally possible to commit to something and know that it’s as good as done because we know how to follow through!In t...
2025-05-2245 min
The Ordinary Family#27: The Enneagram - An "Improver" Marries An "Enthusiast" And Here's What HappenedIn this episode we’re talking about the enneagram!How does knowing our personality type and temperament impact our relationships?How does it impact our parenting?What about our work?The truth is, your personality and temperament impact every facet of your life and yet so few people take the time to become aware and understand their motivations.Why do you do what you do?Why are some things easy for you while other things are harder?If you want to unlock the next level of...
2025-05-1646 min
The Ordinary Family#26: When You Feel Like You're Failing As A Parent - RepairWhen we return to a moment that felt bad and add connection and emotional safety, we actually change the memory in the body. - Dr. Becky Kennedy… and this is the power of repair. The power to change the memory in the body by adding connection and emotional safety.I know too many parents who feel like they are failing their kids. They feel like:* They yell too much* They lose their temper too much* They are sarcastic when they could have been kind* They co...
2025-05-0848 min
The Ordinary Family#25: The Art Of Parenting : Not The Math Of ParentingI used to think that parenting was like math, something like A + B = C. In fact, it seems like a lot of advice and content out there for parents will argue that parenting is like math too. “If you use this parenting method your kids will never have meltdowns or tantrums”.“If you follow the parenting advice in this book your kids will turn out to be good adults.”And so it goes, we end up thinking that there are a lot of wrong ways to parent and only a few right ways and so m...
2025-05-0133 min
The Ordinary Family#24: Why You Don't Have Time For Self CareWe’ve all heard the phrase, “Work/Life Balance” and thought, yeah I want that but I don’t know how to get it, in fact some of us think it’s a nice idea that’s not feasible for us.Maybe it’s possible for other people but not me, not my life. Or maybe, we’ve just resolved ourselves to grinding it out and trudging through our lives. We think things like:* There’s no time for me to have hobbies* There’s no time for a morning routine* There’s no ti...
2025-04-2448 min
The Ordinary Family#23: The Counter Intuitive Solution To Support Your Spouse During A Hard Season Of LifeIf you’re like me you may have been taught things like…* Others before self* It’s your responsibility to take care of your spouse* If your spouse is going through a hard time, your marriage might be in trouble* Happy wife, happy lifeand while these are all nice sentiments they can actually create bad results for you if you use them as guides when your spouse is going through a hard time.Because we believe our spouse’s happiness is our responsibility we often try to chang...
2025-04-1844 min
The Ordinary Family#22: Know Your Values = Simplify Your LifeIn this podcast you’ll hear Abby and I talk a lot about our values. You’ll hear us say things like:This doesn’t align with our values.We were trying to make a decision that aligned with our family values.In this situation I behaved in a way that did not align with my values.In this episode we’ll talk about what the heck values are (to us).We’ll share how we define our values and how they truly guide us in creating the life t...
2025-04-1052 min
The Ordinary Family#21: How To Keep Yourself SafeWhy do we want our kids to behave (other than the altruistic reasons we tell ourselves)?Why does it feel so hard to have a good day, when your spouse is having a bad day?Would you like to stop ruminating and beating yourself up when you make a mistake?Then join us as we dive into how you can create emotional safety for yourself in this episode.You don’t have to change anyone else but you do need to have your own back no matter what!Have a...
2025-04-0348 min
The Ordinary Family#20: A Holistic Application Of The Compound EffectYou may have heard about the compound effect as it relates to finances but did you know that this concept applies to all of life?The best part is, you can leverage the compound effect to create the relationship you want with your spouse and kids.Join us as we dive into all the ways you can create compounding positive change in your life and the life of the people you love the most.Have a question or comment to share?We would love to hear from you!You can send...
2025-03-2742 min
The Ordinary Family#19: Saying No Is Not A BoundaryAbby: “I don’t love boundaries”Coleman: “I love boundaries”For years Abby and I did boundaries poorly. It was all about controlling and managing other people’s behavior. I feel exhausted just thinking about it now.Then we learned how to do boundaries in a way that required only one thing: how to manage and control ourselves.This simple shift changed our experience of boundaries. All of a sudden, boundaries actually worked and were fully within our control. Other people could do whatever they wanted to do and we knew exac...
2025-03-2043 min
The Ordinary Family#18: How Parents Abuse Themselves And Call It ProductivityWe all have the same amount of hours in a day but we don’t all have the same energy capacity.For years Abby and I perfected the art of time management in our work and our home. We maximized all the things. We made the inefficient, efficient. We planned and scheduled something most hours of most days.We listened to podcasts in our down time and on our commutes. Always learning, always growing. Or were we?It’s difficult to retain what you haven’t had time or energy to proces...
2025-03-1347 min
School to Homeschool90. Adventures in Homeschooling & Nature with Abby & Coleman HousefieldStep into the Nature Lab, an innovative outdoor homeschool program designed by Abby and Coleman. Inspired by California's outdoor preschool movement, this nature-based learning environment blends forest school principles, hands-on STEM learning, and sustainable education. Children thrive through farm chores, nature journaling, and outdoor free play, fostering independence, curiosity, and environmental stewardship. As they observe the changing seasons, they gain a deep appreciation for the natural world while developing essential life skills. Abby and Coleman share their vision for expanding outdoor homeschooling programs, empowering families to embrace alternative education models that prioritize nature-based learning and real-world exploration. C...
2025-03-1039 min
The Ordinary Family#17: Don't Just Communicate More, Communicate BetterCommunication is complex and for work we have degrees for that. What about communicating with your spouse and kids? Is there a degree for that?Sure would be nice if there was.Do you feel confident in your ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with your spouse and kids?Or does it feel hard and painful to have a conversation with your spouse?Does it feel like conversations just take way too long and in some cases you don’t get anywhere? This is the worst.What ab...
2025-03-0644 min
The Ordinary Family#16: Is Doing Your Best Negatively Impacting Your Family?Are you doing you best?Do you find yourself leaving it all on the field?What about going the extra mile or above and beyond?As a child or adolescent these phrases were quite helpful but as an adult they can sometimes lead us astray.Why?Because when you’re only responsible for yourself, you’re the only person impacted when you leave it all on the field or go the extra mile.When you have a family, your spouse and kids are often the ones impacted the...
2025-02-2749 min
The Ordinary Family#15: Tales Of Misadventure With KidsThis week’s episode is all about the adventures we went on with our kids that quickly turned into misadventures!We laughed, we cried, we were pissed, we felt defeated and regret and each time we learned something important about ourselves, our kids, and each other.If you adventure with your kids, you’re going to have misadventures and they aren’t usually the stuff you see people sharing on instagram. So we’re here to share with you humbly and authentically, what its actually like to adventure with our kids. Come wit...
2025-02-2047 min
The Ordinary Family#14: Why Feeling Successful As A Parent Changes EverythingParents, we made this episode for you. We wish we would have had this podcast episode when we were new parents!How do you define success as a parent? Do you know?Whether it was intentional or not you have a target that you’re working towards as a parent.For many of us, it’s just what our parents did (or didn’t do) that guides us in how we show up as parents for our own kids.For some of us, it’s o...
2025-02-1348 min
The Ordinary Family#13: Abby Housefield: Homeschooling, Farm and Forest School Owner, and Yoga TeacherIn addition to being a mom and wife, your host Abby does a few other things including: * Homeschooling her kids * Running a farm and forest school with her sister in law * Teaching yogaIf you…* Want to get to know Abby better* Are interested in homeschooling or homeschool enrichment programs like the farm and forest school* Or love yogaThis episode is for you!In this episode Abby shares how she navigates all the things she is responsible for and engaged wi...
2025-01-3032 min
The Ordinary Family#12: Are You Missing Out On Half Your Life?One of our podcast listeners thanked us recently and shared that they joined a running club after listening to one of our episodes. We absolutely love hearing that our podcast is making a positive difference in people’s lives. If something we’ve shared on this podcast has had a positive impact on your life we would love to hear from you!You can reply directly to this email or leave us a review on whatever podcast player you use. It means the world to us, so thank you in advance!On t...
2025-01-2342 min
The Ordinary Family#11: Our Marriage BlueprintAbby and I have been married for 15 years. In 15 years we’ve been through multiple seasons of life that were hard, some were really hard on our marriage.Whether you’re navigating a season of closeness or feeling the strain of growing apart, this episode includes practical advice and our honest stories to help you imagine new ways to connect with your spouse.Join Abby and Coleman as they share the blueprint they use to prioritize their relationship with each other while working and raising 3 kids together.Have a question or comment to shar...
2025-01-1040 min
The Ordinary Family#10: Capability, Safety, and Technology With KidsThese days, technology makes it easy to avoid thinking, just ask google!It makes it easy to not ask a friend for help, just watch a youtube video!It makes it easy to not become a capable, creative problem solving human.In our home we consider ourselves technology minimalists, my friend Trey calls it Tech Veganism. But what about the way technology can keep our kids safer, right?! Isn’t my kid safer with a smart watch or phone with them all the time?Our answer is NO (and we...
2025-01-0244 min
The Ordinary Family#9: Routines and Family RhythmsThere was a time when I (Coleman) thought routine was a dirty word. How am I supposed to be spontaneous if I have a rigid routine?! Whelp, all that has changed since becoming a father. In fact, what I’ve learned is that designing my family’s rhythms and routines intentionally with my wife Abby is how we take the very best care of ourselves and the people we love the most. Can you make exceptions to the routine?How do you decide what to prioritize and what to ignore?Ho...
2024-12-1941 min
The Ordinary Family#8: What Makes A Relationship ThriveIs your relationship with your spouse in a rut? Do you find yourself going through the motions, following the routine and making it work?In this episode Abby and Coleman share how they create connection and deeper, more authentic love in their relationship through shared activity together. Often what makes you fall in love with someone is not what creates a thriving relationship.Trying new things together is so essential. Honoring, supporting, and even participating in the things your spouse loves is how you consistently create connection with your...
2024-12-1234 min
The Ordinary Family#7: How To Enjoy Holidays With FamilyIf you are dreading the upcoming holidays because time with extended family often feels draining and awkward we recorded this episode just for you!Your hosts Coleman and Abby will share funny and painful stories from their extended family holidays with you and the tools they use now to keep themselves safe and sane when gathering with extended family over the holidays.What if you could enjoy the holidays this year regardless of how everyone else behaves? You can! In this episode, we’ll tell you how we do it and how you can do it...
2024-12-0535 min
The Ordinary Family#6: Family Holiday Traditions vs New ExperiencesIt’s the most wonderful time of the year! We love Thanksgiving and Christmas around here and we have some cherished family traditions that we look forward to every year. We also like to try new experiences with our kids to see what sticks and what becomes a funny memory that we will not do again.Tune in to this episode to spark you’re own imagination for your family traditions and maybe you’ll even consider trying a new experience with your family this holiday season too!Have a question or com...
2024-11-2245 min
The Ordinary Family#5: The Secret To Everything You Want In Your LifeYour emotions are the secret key to everything you want in your life.How you feel, drives your actions and your actions literally build the life you have today.The primary thing standing between you and the life you want is a bunch of emotions you probably don’t want to feel.Learn to feel them by processing them through your body and you can do anything.Tune in to this week’s episode to learn the skill that has changed everything for Abby and Coleman. Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? But it...
2024-11-1540 min
The Ordinary Family#4: Family and 1:1 TimeWhether you lean towards having the family all together all the time or you’re more introverted and appreciate your time alone and 1:1 time with the people you love the most there’s something for everyone in this episode. In this episode we share how we think about intentional family time and how we spend time with each family member 1:1. Join us as we explore the art of making time together a priority in our everyday lives!In this episode we mention Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages.Have a ques...
2024-11-0730 min
The Ordinary Family#3: How We Adventure With Our KidsHave you ever wanted to take your kids with you on an adventure but wondered if it was the right thing to do? You are, after all the adult and you’re supposed to keep your kids safe, right?Maybe it’s better to do less dangerous, risky things with your kids?WRONG!We actually think adventures are the best place to build confidence, capability (two things we intentionally help our kids grow in) and core memories with your kids!Your kids crave time with you, outside, and on an a...
2024-10-3130 min
The Ordinary Family#2: The Tool That Immediately Improved Our RelationshipsIf you want to have authentic, deep, healthy relationships with the people you love the most you have to toss out that manual you have for them. Let them be who they want to be and get to know the person you love for who they truly are.We all have relationship manuals. These manuals tell us (not the other person) how the other person is supposed to behave. We expect them to do this not that. When the other person follows our manual for them we feel pretty good about the relationship, when they...
2024-10-2429 min
The Ordinary Family#1: Our StoryHi Friends! In this episode you’ll get to know your hosts (Coleman and Abby) a little better. We share what our family is like, a little bit about how we got here, why we’re starting a podcast, what we do for work, and fun! We also share a little bit about our kids and TMI about our dogs. We’ll give you a few hints at podcast topics we’ve already recorded or are actively working on for the future. Disclaimer: This was the first podcast we recorded, even before t...
2024-10-1618 min
The Ordinary FamilyNew Podcast TrailerWelcome to The Ordinary Family Podcast! Where we celebrate the beauty in everyday family life! Whether you're trying to find time for an uninterrupted conversation with your partner, tackling the mountain of laundry or dishes, trying to keep your children alive, or just trying to figure out what’s for dinner, this is the place where real conversations happen about the highs, lows, and everything in between. This podcast is dedicated to everyone who is trying to make a living, build a strong relationship with your partner, raise good humans, and take care of yourself—becau...
2024-09-2801 min