Shows
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. đIt wasnât 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 didnât know how to do it any other way. In this episode weâll 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. đŹDo you find yourself venting about the same things, people, challenges over and over again?ITâS A TRAP! đȘ€Venting is a trap. We find ourselves eating tasty treats but after weâre 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 youâre curious and want to...2025-06-1239 min
The Ordinary Family#29: We Wear Tiredness Like A Shield, Let's Go DeeperWhenâs the last time you heard or said, âIâm really tiredâ or maybe, âwhy am I so tired today?âHow about when someone asks how youâre doing and you answer, âTiredâ.We wear tiredness like a shield and saying weâre tired often lets us opt out of naming whatâs really, truly going on for us.In this episode Abby and I get personal, sharing our own stories of shielding ourselves with âtiredâ instead of admitting that weâre feeling lonely or mentally drained.Weâll 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, itâs totally possible to commit to something and know that itâs 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 weâre 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. âIf you use this parenting method your kids will never have meltdowns or tantrumsâ.âIf you follow the parenting advice in this book your kids will turn out to be good adults.âAnd 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 CareWeâve all heard the phrase, âWork/Life Balanceâ and thought, yeah I want that but I donât know how to get it, in fact some of us think itâs a nice idea thatâs not feasible for us.Maybe itâs possible for other people but not me, not my life. Or maybe, weâve just resolved ourselves to grinding it out and trudging through our lives. We think things like:* Thereâs no time for me to have hobbies* Thereâs no time for a morning routine* Thereâs no ti...2025-04-2448 min
The Ordinary Family#23: The Counter Intuitive Solution To Support Your Spouse During A Hard Season Of LifeIf youâre like me you may have been taught things likeâŠ* Others before self* Itâs 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 spouseâs 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 youâll hear Abby and I talk a lot about our values. Youâll hear us say things like:This doesnât 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 weâll talk about what the heck values are (to us).Weâll 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 donât 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: âI donât love boundariesâColeman: âI love boundariesâFor years Abby and I did boundaries poorly. It was all about controlling and managing other peopleâs 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 donât 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?Itâs difficult to retain what you havenât 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 Californiaâs 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. ...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 donât 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 youâre only responsible for yourself, youâre 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 weekâs 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, youâre going to have misadventures and they arenât usually the stuff you see people sharing on instagram. So weâre 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 youâre working towards as a parent.For many of us, itâs just what our parents did (or didnât do) that guides us in how we show up as parents for our own kids.For some of us, itâs 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 youâŠ* 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 peopleâs lives. If something weâve 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 weâve been through multiple seasons of life that were hard, some were really hard on our marriage.Whether youâre 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?! Isnât 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 Iâve learned is that designing my familyâs 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, weâll 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 ExperiencesItâs 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 youâre own imagination for your family traditions and maybe youâll 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 donât want to feel.Learn to feel them by processing them through your body and you can do anything.Tune in to this weekâs episode to learn the skill that has changed everything for Abby and Coleman. Sounds dramatic doesnât 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 youâre more introverted and appreciate your time alone and 1:1 time with the people you love the most thereâs 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 Chapmanâs 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 youâre supposed to keep your kids safe, right?Maybe itâs 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 youâll 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 weâre starting a podcast, what we do for work, and fun! We also share a little bit about our kids and TMI about our dogs. Weâll give you a few hints at podcast topics weâve 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 whatâs 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 yourselfâbecau...2024-09-2801 min