Shows
The Family LabEncore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2020A 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 @thefamilylabpodcast, and find us on Instagram @familylabpodcast. You can also find us at familylabpodcast.com. 2025-06-2414 minThe Family LabEncore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2021Recap 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.2025-06-1013 minThe Family LabEncore: How Whitney Experiments, Summer 2022Throwback 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. 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.2025-06-0422 minThe Family LabEncore: How Donna (Whitney's Grandma) Mommed Back in the DayHappy 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. 2025-05-2224 min
The Family LabRe-entering the Workforce with Heather NemelkaReady 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 Wha...2025-04-2352 min
The Friendly Podcast GuideFalling Off a Cliff Led to the Best Podcast Ideas w/ Whitney ArchibaldSometimes inspiration comes in the strangest ways. In this episode Whitney Archibald talks about how a rock climbing accident helped her get crystal clear about what she wanted to do with her podcast.Whitney Archibald is the host of 2 podcasts: The Family Lab and The Y Magazine Podcast. She has the best parenting advice and is always trying the funnest experiments with her podcast. She has been podcasting for 6 years and is a podcast lover like me. Topics discussed in this episode:Podcast experimentingHow to start a p...2025-04-2220 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments Spring 2025Latest 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=880793c622433a15fcce2025-04-1643 minThe Friendly Podcast GuideWrite Your Best Episode: Tips & Experiments w/ Whitney ArchibaldHow do you actually sit down and write an awesome podcast episode? The short answer…experiment a lot. The long answer is this episode. And one of my favorite parts is when Whitney breaks down how to create an amazing podcast episode out of a bad interview.Whitney Archibald is the host of 2 podcasts: The Family Lab and The Y Magazine Podcast. She has been podcasting for 6 years so she has had plenty of time to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Topics discussed in this episode:Solo podca...2025-04-1530 min
The Family LabDesigning Your Family Culture with Family Looking UpWe'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=880793c622433a15fcce2025-04-0857 min
The Family LabTeaching Kids to Clean, with Joy WilliamsSpring 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...2025-04-0147 min
The Family LabTop 5 Family MoviesThis 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 list our childhood movies and then our current favorite family movies by the person who recommended them. I'll omit the ones that we mentioned but do not recommend. (Sorry, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) We also talk about how we make family movie nights happen and what they look...2025-03-2544 minThe Family LabBook 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 is The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. To listen to the other two episodes about this book, click the links below: Art of Gathering Part 1 Art of Gathering Part 2 Weekly Open Lab: Wednesdays at 10 am MT (through April 30 2025, then resuming in Se...2025-03-1859 min
The Family LabMaking Friends, with Elise CaffeeOn 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 decided to change my planned schedule to bring you a conversation I had with Elise about friendship in 2022. I used clips from it in two different episodes, but never released the entirety of it. Elise had so many beautiful things to say about friendship and...2025-03-1156 min
The Family LabDiscovering Your Parenting Superpowers, with Maria EckersleySo 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 do everything all at once. But you can build different strengths in different seasons and turn out to be amazing in your own unique way. To learn more from the wonderful Maria Eckersley, check out this episode of How She Moms: How Maria Ma...2025-03-0451 minThe Family LabTop 5 Tech Tools, with Sami Bedell-MulhernHow 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 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=880793c622433a15fcce2025-02-2447 min
The Family LabBook Club: The Art of Gathering Part 2 (Chapters 2-4)When you're hosting an event are you Inclusive or exclusive? Chill or bossy? These are a few of the controversies we'll cover in today's discussion about the Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, with Whitney Archibald, Angela Halliday, and Emily Bean. Watch Part 1: The Art of Gathering Part 1 (Intro and Chapter 1) Other episodes about gathering: How She Builds a Village How She Spends Time with Friends How She Makes Friends How Christina Builds Community2025-02-111h 08
The Family LabTeaching Kids to "Notice and Do" with Sam KellySure, your kid is capable of picking up his socks. But does he notice those socks are on the floor in the first place? This aspect of carrying the mental load--noticing what needs to be done and then doing it--is the foundation of Sam Kelly's strategy for teaching kids to work in the home. In this episode, Sam and Whitney investigate how to help kids develop this skill, talk about how they've experimented with this in their homes, and suggest experiments you can try in your own home. For more resources from Sam Kelly, visit he...2025-02-0448 minThe Family LabTop 5 Kid PodcastsHave you discovered the amazing and ever-expanding world of kid podcasts? In this episode Whitney gets recommendations from two kid podcast experts, Merideth Kelly (founder of Storitopia.com) and Andi Smiley (host of The Friendly Podcast Guide). All three of us share our top five (Ok, I shared eight) podcasts for kids, and we talk about how we use podcasts with our kids in our daily lives--including that elusive challenge of getting our kids to go to sleep! Here are our lists, with links for where to find these fabulous podcasts, including recommendations for good episodes to s...2025-01-2855 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments: Survival Mode (2023-2024)It's been a wild year and a half in the Archibald home--deep in survival mode. Here's a peek into the experiments--intentional and unintentional--that we've tried in the wake of my rock-climbing accident. Including simplifying, kitchen cleaning experiments, new hobbies, and more. Episodes mentioned: How She Falls Off a Cliff How Jessica Goes from Surviving to Thriving Essentially and Simply with Greg McKeown 2025-01-2139 min
The Family LabBook Club: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker (Part 1: Intro-Chapter 1)How do you gather with your family? And how could you make gatherings like dinnertime, family scripture study, driving kids around, and family meetings more purposeful? Join Whitney and her friend Angela Halliday as they discuss the intro and first chapter of The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. This episode will focus on gatherings of your nuclear family. Here's the schedule for the rest of the book: February 11: Art of Gathering Part 2--Chapters 2-3. We'll talk about hosting informal gatherings with friends and extended family March 11: Art of Gathering Part 3...2025-01-1441 min
The Family LabConnecting with KidsConnecting with your kids takes effort, creativity, patience--and a lot of experimentation! Whitney Archibald, Angelynn Singley, and Paola Jellings, who have (gasp) 18 children between them, talk about experiments they've tested to connect with their kids, and come up with a few for you to try. Then four contributors share their ideas as well. Here are the books mentioned in this episode: The Five Minute Time In by Brittney Smart Atomic Habits by James Clear To contribute to future episodes, email whitney@howshemoms.com A few upcoming topics: D...2025-01-0844 min
What's The LessonHow A Near Death Experience Has Changed My Perspective on Life and Motherhood with Whitney ArchibaldIn This Episode, We Chat About: How a traumatic rock climbing accident transformed Whitney’s priorities to focus on love over logistics. Resources + Links: Follow Whitney @howshemoms Learn more about our coaching services & upcoming events: https://www.girlsmentorship.com/ Connect with us on Instagram: Girls Mentorship | @girlsmentorship Jill Petersen | @jillphxsen Mary Frances | @msmaryfran Join our Facebook Community | Girls Mentorship This episode with Whitney Archibald is full of...2024-02-1648 min
Y MagazineSpiritual Lessons and a 30-Foot FallThis summer, Y Magazine podcast host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) took a serious tumble—a fall of 30 feet while rock climbing in Provo's Rock Canyon. Miraculously, she landed in the only Whitney-shaped clearing possible—an inch or two higher or to the right, and she would have hit her head on a rock. The injuries she did sustain weren’t insignificant—from a shattered sacrum to a grisly compound wrist fracture, Whitney had a long road to recovery ahead of her. However, Whitney recalls the immediate spiritual promptings she received from God as soon as the accident occurred that let her kn...2023-12-2116 min
The Family LabHow She Builds a VillageWhitney interviews moms from the village that helped raise her. They talk about friendship, the work that goes into building it, and some of their kids' shenanigans. 2023-11-0141 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Struggles with ScreentimeScreentime is a struggle--setting boundaries, resetting those boundaries, keeping kids safe, teaching them how to be intentional about tech. In this episode Whitney shares some of the ups and downs of screentime experiments in her own family. For more episodes about managing screentime, check out the rest of the series: 68: How Andrea Davis Manages Screentime 107: How Catherine Teaches Kids to Manage Technology 115: How She Creates a Heathly Tech Culture 116: How Hillary Creates Healthy Screen Habits 2023-05-2623 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments--Winter 2023In which we talk about all the expectations in the winter season, plus parenting expectations in general. I also talk about some of the experiments going on here in the Archibald home from family discussions to chores to Christmas gifts, plus a new podcasting adventure for me. 2023-03-1033 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments, Fall 2022In which I discuss some of the fall experiments that have been working for us as we drive kids from one activity to another. I'll talk about our big push to improve hygiene and sleep habits, our holiday experiments, and then update you on some plans for How She Moms and other related projects.2022-11-1623 minThe Family Lab103 How Whitney Experiments--Summer 2022My kids help me evaluate all of our summer experiments, from jobs to swimming to family reunions and lots of bravery. 2022-09-2824 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Rethinks Motherhood100 episodes! To celebrate, I thought I'd put together an episode of some of the ways the amazing moms I've interviewed have helped me (and maybe some of you) rethink motherhood. I somehow narrowed it down to 12 (or so) ideas that have helped me become a better mom over the past three years. Here's to many more (years and great ideas)! 2022-09-0735 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments--Spring 2022A quarterly update on the experiments host Whitney Archibald is trying at home. This one includes setting boundaries (or not) about how many activities to pack into one season, travel, bedtime and morning routines, and of course, screentime.2022-05-2519 minThe Family Lab84 How Whitney Experiments--Winter 2022My home is my laboratory. I talk about our current experiments including our current bedtime and morning routines; physical fitness; teen driving; chores; and my recent, life-changing surgery. I also do a little Christmas post-mortem to talk about what worked and what didn’t this holiday season. After I tackle tech, I’ll also share some experiments for How She Moms itself.2022-01-2527 min
Legit ParentingAn Interview with Whitney Archibald, host of How She Moms PodcastSend us a textJoin Craig Knippenberg as he interviews the CEO of Motherhood, Whitney Archibald, host of the podcast How She Moms. During this episode Craig and Whitney discuss how your brain changes in motherhood and fatherhood! Whitney shares her tips for looking at parenthood in a practical, tactical approach! To learn more about Whitney Archibald visit her website at: www.howshemoms.com. 2021-12-111h 02
Family Looking UpEp. 212 Thanksgiving Special: Tips on Gratitude - Guest Whitney ArchibaldWe are thrilled to bring you our good friend Whitney Archibald for this special episode on Thanksgiving! Whitney is the host of the "How She Moms" podcast. This week she shares SO MANY fantastic ideas parents can implement to teach gratitude and to feel more gratitude. So many of her ideas were things we had never thought of and have already started implementing in our own homes. Whitney is the mom to 5 and is full of creativity and has a special talent for gathering others ideas as well. We hope you truly love this episode...maybe you're even going to be...2021-11-161h 01The Family LabHow Whitney Experiments--Summer 2021A rundown of the experiments we're trying in the Archibald home this summer, from cooking classes to way too many sports to chores.2021-06-2215 min
Adoption Hacks71. Ethics in Adoption with Whitney RunyonThis week we get to talk with Whitney Runyon from The Archibald Project! Whitney and her husband are adoptive parents who are passionate about empowering others to care for orphaned and vulnerable children.
In this episode we get to hear Whitney’s personal adoption story and what the Archibald Project is and how it began. Then we dive into a deep discussion of ethics in adoption. What can we do as prospective and current adoptive parents to ensure that we are promoting ethical adoptions? What are some of the typical ethical downfalls in this process and how ca...2021-03-2336 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments: Winter/Spring 2021It’s that time again—about three times a year, I do a whole episode updating you on the experiments we’re trying here in the Archibald home—from sleep to chores to allowance to travel.2021-03-2315 minThe Family LabHow Chantel Allen Manages AnxietyToday, I’m delighted to share some of the highlights from a conversation I had with Chantel Allen, a mom of four and a life coach. She’ll talk about some of the different stages of motherhood, and her career path from preschool teacher to life coach. We also talk about how she has learned to live with anxiety and help her children through some of the same challenges.2021-01-2625 minThe Family LabHow She Names Her ChildrenNaming a baby is one of the first big decisions we make as parents—and it’s a huge one! Talk about pressure! This is the name they’re going to be known by their whole lives. It sounds so stressful--so why is it so darn fun? In this episode we’re going to talk about some of the common—and uncommon--ways parents come up with names, and how they actually come to an agreement on those names. We’ll also take a fun intermission with a little quiz we’ll call Spot the Urban Legend. Sources: 2021-01-1940 minThe Family Lab45 How Leisle StrategizesEvery year, Leisle and Vinh Chung take a couple retreat to come up with a new version of their Plan with a capital P--a 30-year blueprint for their family. In this episode you'll learn about their plan and how they infuse their values--including hard work, compassion and service--into parenting and family life.2021-01-1217 minThe Family LabHow She Does BedtimeIn this episode I’ll share what bedtime looks like for several different moms, some with just young kids and some with older kids and teenagers, including some really sweet ideas about how to connect with your kids at bedtime. Then I’ll share some of the advice and research that’s helped me improve our bedtime routine this year. Resources: howshemoms.com Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth MD routineandthings.com jenbrewer.com thepurposegathering.com m...2021-01-0539 minThe Family Lab(Encore) How She Serves Her Community and BeyondInspiring stories of women who love and serve their communities and the world and teach their children to do the same. 2020-12-1531 minThe Family LabHow Beth Millward Does ChristmasBeth Millward is the mom version of Buddy the Elf. In this episode she shares her many Christmas traditions, from Santa's Workshop to the twelve days of Christmas. I dare you to listen without getting excited to celebrate!2020-12-0836 minThe Family LabHow She Plays With Her Kids (And How She Doesn't)In this episode we’ll talk about 10 tactics to bring a little more play into parenting. Along the way, we’ll dig into the guilt a little bit and examine that pressure we feel to entertain our kids, we’ll talk to moms about specific ways they play with their kids—including march-madness style taste tests, airborne pancakes, and competitive toilet wiping—and we’ll even learn some techniques for making those pretend-play sessions something you can actually enjoy once in a while.2020-12-0150 minThe Family LabHow Brooke Romney Learns from Other MomsBrooke Romney is one of my favorite writers on the topic of being a mother and being a good person in general. Her first book, I Love Me Anyway, released this fall, and it’s as beautiful and inspiring as I expected. Here, I talk with Brooke about some of the different stages she’s experienced in motherhood, and what she’s learned along the way, especially from other moms.2020-11-2323 min
Make a Difference (MAD) PodcastEpisode 3 - The Archibald ProjectIn episode 3, we talk to Whitney and Nick Runyon, founders of The Archibald Project.The Archibald Project is an orphan care advocacy organization, using media to tell stories. Their stories advocate for orphans, educate on orphan care, build community, and inspire people into action. Because The Archibald Project exists, fewer children are called orphan.Check them out at:https://www.thearchibaldproject.com/http://www.facebook.com/thearchibaldprojecthttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32JmlLuOH8PaeuL59znbQhttp://instagram.com/thearchibaldproject2020-11-2043 minThe Family LabHow she Takes Care of Herself Part 2In the last episode, we talked about why self-care is important and some great ideas of how to make it happen. Today, we’re going to talk to three moms who have figured out how to take care of themselves while taking care of their kids, in three very different ways and in three different situations.2020-11-1725 minThe Family LabHow She Takes Care of HerselfAs a mom, you know what human beings need and how to take care of them. So why don't you take care of yourself? In this episode, I talk to 10 different moms about self-care—the why, the what, and the how.2020-11-0234 minThe Family LabHow She Finds Time AloneThis episode is all about how to find islands of our own—islands of time and islands of space where moms can be alone and recharge. This is the first of two episodes about self care. The next one will include lots of different ways to care for ourselves, but I wanted to start with this episode because I feel like this desperate need for alone time is pretty unique to motherhood, and especially to motherhood right now, in a time of homeschooling, remote schooling, and working from home.2020-10-2031 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments—Fall 2020Ten experiments going down at the Archibald home, from a family retreat to chore routines to bedtime bribery. 2020-10-0618 minThe Family LabHow Emily Teaches Kids to WorkThis week’s episode is another bonus interview, and a glimpse of what life is like for a mom of 11 children! I recorded this conversation with the incredible Emily Fillmore about a year ago for my episodes “How She Teaches Kids to Work” and “How She Teaches Kids to Be Tidy,” and I thought it was time to bring you the whole interview, now that we’re all figuring out our fall routines. Links: Family Do Dots2020-09-2236 minThe Family LabHow She Home SchoolsThis is not an episode about the nitty gritty of homeschooling, though I do plan to do a more comprehensive episode or maybe even a multi-part series about that in the future. This is an episode for first-time homeschoolers and remote schoolers. I’m going to split the episode into two parts: help and hope. We’ll start by troubleshooting some of the challenges of teaching your kids at home—including how to get your own work done while the kids are all home. Then we’ll play Pollyanna and talk about some of the positive things about te...2020-09-1539 minThe Family LabHow Josie Moms–On a BoatJosie Lauducci mastered the quarantine life before quarantining was cool. She went long stretches where she saw no one but her family; she lived in tight quarters on a shoestring budget; she homeschooled—and here’s the amazing part—she did it on purpose. On a sailboat. Read about the Lauduccis and their adventure at afamilyafloat.com2020-09-0826 min
Sh!t I Think Is CoolEpisode 3: Annabelle ValleyThis week we talk about the otherworldly sights of the San Luis Valley, and the spooky mysteries of Annabelle. Stay tuned for news about our upcoming Spooky Halloween Special!
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Executive Producers: Megan McGinley & Whitney French
Emotional Support: Commander Archibald
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siticpod/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siticpod/support2020-09-041h 49The Family LabHow She EvolvesAs moms, we are students of child development. We read books. We observe our own kids, and other people’s kids to figure out what’s “normal.” We recognize the different stages they go through. Some pass by as quick as a newborn’s smile, some drag like a morning diaper. However, we are less likely to recognize our own stages of development, and the remarkable growth we mothers experience as we learn, face and overcome challenges, and perhaps most importantly, chill out a bit. In this season of the How She Moms Podcast, we’re going to...2020-09-0146 min
Sh!t I Think Is CoolEpisode 2: The Roanoke EffectIn this week's episode we discuss the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and the theories of the Mandela Effect.
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Executive Producers: Megan McGinley & Whitney French
Producer: Julia McManus
Editing: Whitney French
Emotional Support: Megan McGinley and Commander Archibald
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siticpod/support2020-08-281h 35
Family Looking UpEp. 147. Herding Cats: Routine ideas that can help a mom’s craziest time of the day/Guest Whitney Archibald of "How She Moms"Mornings, after school, and bedtime--- these are by far the hardest times for moms to navigate. Help is here, Mom Squad! On today's show we bring you one of our favorite mom helpers out there: Whitney Archibald from “How She Moms” (www.howshemoms.com). If you are not familiar with her website, then just know that your life just got better. Whitney's motto, on the website, is “Different moms solving the same problems.” The premise is that all parents have the same problems we are trying to solve, so why not look at each other's ideas as potential solutions for our own...2020-08-181h 08
Adoption Wise#91: Ethical Orphan Care and Adoption with Whitney RunyonWhen Whitney and Nick Runyon put together her photography skills and his ability to travel on a budget as an airline pilot, a beautiful organization was born. The Archibald Project uses stories to educate people in all the ways to care for orphaned and vulnerable children. Melissa chats with Whitney about how her and Nick navigated their adoption, their whirlwind romance, and how others around the world are caring for their vulnerable children right in their community.
Relevant Links:
Connect with Whitney on Instagram
The Archibald Project's Website
Before We Were Yours: A Novel by Lisa Wingate*
*This is an...2020-06-3033 minThe Family LabHow Whitney Experiments—Summer 2020We all know that parenting is a grand experiment. It has become my tradition with this podcast to update you on the experiments we’re trying here at the Archibald home about three times a year—summer, fall, and winter. So in this episode I’ll talk about our current experiments and update you on some of the ones from the experiment episode last February, called Routine Experiments—the sequel.2020-06-2217 minThe Family LabHow She Takes the Fight Out of Food Part 2 Today’s episode is part two of a two-part series about how to take the fight out of food. In the first episode, we talked about picky eating and house rules about what kind of food you eat. In this episode we’re going to talk about two other potential battles: When kids eat and how they eat. Resources mentioned in this episode: SNL sketch: Dysfunctional Family Dinner Didn’t I Just Feed You Podcast: The Beast Hiding In Your Pantry What Fresh Hell...2020-06-0119 minThe Family LabHow She Takes the Fight Out of Food, Part 1Most of us haven’t been in a sitcom-style, hurl-mashed-potatoes-across-the-room kind of food fight, but I’ll bet most of us have been in fights about food with our kids. There are so many potential conflicts here, from picky eating to table manners. The goal of this two part series is to help make eating with your kids a positive experience—with a lot of great ideas from moms on the front lines. In this first episode, we’ll talk about two potential battles: picky eating and house rules about what types of food you eat. In part two, we’ll ta...2020-05-1939 min
The New ActivistWhitney and Nick Runyon, Co-Founders of The Archibald ProjectThe Archibald Project produces stories that increase the number of people caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. There are millions of orphaned and vulnerable children in this world, and caring for any of those children is a complex issue. That's why Whitney and Nick's work is so important. Their resources provide people with the encouragement, answers, and support they need to thrive in their activism. Links from the Interview - Learn more about (and support) The Archibald Project - The New Activist is Presented by International Justice Mission ...2020-05-1136 minThe Family LabA Mom's JobMotherhood is a loaded word, full of social, historical, cultural, and familial expectations and responsibilities. Yet, as we all know, there are no prerequisites and no formal training—not even a job interview—required to assume this position. We’ve all read articles that break down the many hats moms wear while they juggle balls in the form of children and housework and birthday parties and jobs and side gigs. But rather than being intimidated and utterly overwhelmed by this long list of duties, we can choose to be liberated by it. Since no one person can possibl...2020-05-0432 minThe Family LabThe Great ResetWe’ve all experienced resets in our lives, both bad and good—things like job loss, illnesses, divorce, deaths, trauma, and tragic events like 9-11, and also positive things like marriage, moves, babies, graduations, new jobs. This time, Corona keeps pushing a giant reset button over and over—sometimes several times a day. No gatherings over 150, wait, make that 10. School’s going online for two weeks. Make that a month. Make that the rest of the school year. Uncertainty is one of the trademarks of this reset. The uncertainty of how long it will last, how many people w...2020-04-1432 minThe Family LabMeal Planning WorkshopI'm offering my complete Meal-Planning Workshop for free during the COVID-19 craziness, since we're all cooking at home more than ever. You can hear the entire introduction to the course in this podcast episode to see if it's something that will help you and your family. Go to howshemoms.teachable.com to enroll. God bless!2020-03-2310 min
Dear DaughtersWhen God Gives You a Dream | Whitney Runyon | DD 116Have you given all your dreams and desires to God? He wants to do more than you can imagine. In December of 2010, Whitney Runyon felt a stirring in her spirit that began an amazing journey for her and her husband … and for so many orphans and adoptive families. Whitney Runyon was a wedding photographer. And her husband, Nick, was an airline pilot. But after seeing the impact of photos she took of an adoption in 2011, they formed a orphan care advocacy 501c-3 and named it after the little Bulgarian boy who’s adoption started it all...2020-03-0459 minThe Family LabHow She Plans MealsIt’s 6 p.m. and you’re staring, zombie-like into the fridge. You have no idea what’s for dinner. In fact, it’s hard to remember what you’ve ever cooked for dinner. What on earth do people eat? In this episode, we’ll hear from three moms with different approaches to meal planning. Kara Farnsworth uses an old-fashioned, analog system, using note cards to plan her meals. Janae Ku uses a digital system. And Hillary Hess takes a more casual approach than either of the other two. For more meal-planning ideas and to create your o...2020-03-0226 minThe Family LabRoutine Experimentation--The SequelBack in August, I recorded an episode called Routine Experimentation, where I talked about several of the experiments I was conducting in my home laboratory with my five little guinea pigs (to switch to another animal analogy). This is actually one of my favorite things about motherhood--troubleshooting problem areas and figuring out creative solutions. I like to play the role of mad scientist. Of course a lot has changed since last August, as tends to happen where kids are involved, so I thought it was time for an update on how those experiments fared, and to tell...2020-02-1718 minThe Family LabHow She OutsourcesOutsourcing is a weirdly fraught topic for moms, partly because of cultural expectations of what we should be doing, partly because of gender stereotypes, partly because of whatever our own mothers did, but maybe even more because of the pressure we put on ourselves to do everything and be everything to everyone. Then there’s the cost. In this episode we’ll talk a bit more about some of the barriers to outsourcing and then we’ll talk about creative ways moms outsource all sorts of jobs, on all sorts of budgets. Links: Full transcript at howshe...2020-02-0331 minThe Family LabYour Kid—A Novel ProblemWith as many kids as I have, and all the reading I do on the topic, you might think I’m somewhat of an expert on raising kids. Yes, I generally know how to keep them alive, clothed, fed, and sheltered, and I keep the family more or less afloat. But one thing that has surprised me the most about parenting is how many skills are not transferrable from one kid to the next. If they were, we’d only need one parenting book to teach us everything we need to know, instead of the hundreds that are out ther...2020-01-2017 min.jpg)
Extraordinary Moms PodcastEpisode 287: Treating Motherhood as a Profession with Whitney Archibald
My guest today is Whitney Archibald, from How She Moms. Whitney shares her experience with infertility while attempting to start her family and now she is a mom of five. In addition, we talk about how her life dramatically changed when she started treating motherhood like a profession. Much like any other job with coursework and training, she decided to intentionally decided to spend one month at a time studying and improving various aspects of her life and motherhood. Also you can check out the How She Moms Podcast to hear from other practitioners who are also working on elevating...2020-01-1400 minExtraordinary Moms PodcastEpisode 287: Treating Motherhood as a Profession with Whitney Archibald
My guest today is Whitney Archibald, from How She Moms. Whitney shares her experience with infertility while attempting to start her family and now she is a mom of five. In addition, we talk about how her life dramatically changed when she started treating motherhood like a profession. Much like any other job with coursework and training, she decided to intentionally decided to spend one month at a time studying and improving various aspects of her life and motherhood. Also you can check out the How She Moms Podcast to hear from other practitioners who are also...2020-01-1400 minThe Family LabHow She Does MorningsIn this episode we’ll talk about many different ways to approach mornings, from moms in all sorts of different situations, moms with little kids and moms with teenagers, moms who home school and moms who send their kids to school, moms with different work situations, moms who love mornings and moms who hate them. As usual, you can access the full transcript at howshemoms.com. Links: The Lazy Genius Podcast: Episode 58, The Lazy Genius Morning Routine Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker, PhD Morning People Vs. Night Owls: 9 Insights Backed By Science, Fast Com...2020-01-0627 minThe Family LabHow She Serves Her Community and BeyondI have so many great stories to share with you in this podcast episode, from five different mothers who serve their community and the world in beautiful ways. I truly believe that being a mom is specialized training in how to identify and serve the needs of others—a skillset we can then take into our communities and the world, when the time is right. Here are some links I mention in this episode: Slade Family Christmas Video 2011 Slade Family Tiny Home for the Holidays Video Micah Slade's YouTube Channel Ju...2019-12-0231 minThe Family LabHow She Celebrates ChristmasChristmas is coming--portly goose and all--whether that fills you with glee or stress. Today we’re going to dig into this dichotomy, and hopefully get rid of any dread. Christmas should be a season of joy and dare I say peace—even for moms. Fear not! You too can enjoy Christmas. Resources mentioned in this episode: Audibletrial.com/howshemoms Ceri Payne coaching Family Looking Up Podcast The Mom Hour Podcast December Intentions for Busy Moms: 2018 Holiday Special #2 Light the World Advent Calendar The Lindsay Report Helping of Happiness Podcast Episode 34 Power in Motherhood with Paula Wood Epis...2019-11-1951 minThe Family LabHow She Serves Family and FriendsThis week, we’re talking about how moms serve. I did not have to look very far to find amazing examples of mothers serving one another, their families, their communities, and the world. In fact, most of the stories come just from my own neighborhood. I could do a podcast episode on this topic every week and never run out of amazing stories to share. In fact, I found so many great ideas that I’m going to split it into two parts. Today I’ll talk about how moms serve their own families and their friends and neighbors. Next w...2019-11-0428 min
Around The World With The Archibald Project46. Helpful Advice With Adoption and Trafficking - Lauren and Adrian MillsWelcome back to Around the World with The Archibald Project! My name is Whitney and together with my husband Nick, we started The Archibald Project! At The Archibald Project, we support people caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Thank you for stopping by to listen to our podcast! In today’s episode, we interview adoptive parents, Lauren and Adrian Mills. To say what these two have walked through over the past couple years has been challenging would not do their story justice. They began the adoption process from the Democratic Republic of The Congo, only to realize onc...2019-10-3040 minThe Family LabHow Donna Mommed—Back In the DayDonna is a mother of six, a grandmother of 24—including me—and a great-grandmother of 29. She’s also a dancer, a storyteller, and a poet. She’s delightful and hilarious and quite spicy—I even had to censor her to keep my clean rating—and she gave such interesting insights into what motherhood used to be like that I just had to share her with you. Perhaps the most interesting insight came when I asked Donna about mom guilt. She didn’t answer at first, just kind of got a puzzled look on her face, like she didn’...2019-10-2824 minThe Family LabOrigin StoryI found out I was going to be a mom in a very dramatic way. I was 25 years old. My eggs had been retrieved, fertilized, frozen, and implanted in our first round of in-vitro fertilization. Then we got the call to let us know that it was unsuccessful. We were sad, but after four years of monthly disappointments, we knew how to play this game. We put our Pollyanna faces on—at least we still had 11 embryos left--I took a brief reprieve from the awful progesterone shots that are as thick as peanut butter, and we started preparing for th...2019-10-2110 minThe Family LabHow Angela ReadsAngela has loved to read since she was a little girl, and she brought that passion into her own home--she has five children who all love to read. In turn, she and her family are bringing that love of reading to people all over the world, as they volunteer for a non-profit organization called Village Book Builders. This August, she went with daughter and son-in-law to Malawi Africa to help finish a library in a small village called Kadzakalowa. In this episode she talks about how she created a culture of reading in her family, and about her trip. 2019-10-1422 minThe Family LabHow She ReadsIn this episode, How She Reads, we’ll talk about how moms read to their kids, how they fit in some reading time for themselves, and how they create a culture of reading in their homes. There’s plenty of evidence that reading is good for our brains—and for our kids’ brains. We know that reading to our kids improves their own reading skills and helps them with other academic subjects too. The importance and value of this cannot be overstated. But all this research—all the quotas of the number of books we’re supposed...2019-10-0738 minThe Family LabThe Great Allowance DebateI love a good parenting controversy. And the topic of how (or if) to give kids money is a big one. There are two main sides to this debate: allowance vs. commission. In the allowance model, kids are paid a set weekly or monthly rate, independent of chores or other qualifications. The second approach is a commission system, a work-for-pay system wherein kids are paid for doing chores and making other contributions to the family. And then, of course, there’s a third option: not giving kids money at all. Links from this episode: How Li...2019-09-2313 minThe Family LabHow She Motivates Kids to WorkLinks: How Maria Teaches Kids to Work (Howshemoms.com) How Nichole Builds Family Relationships (Howshemoms.com) Teaching Your Children Responsibility by Linda and Richard Eyre How To Teach Your Kids to Do Chores without Resenting It (npr.org) The Anthropology of Childhood by David F. Lancy The Truth About Employee Engagement by Patrick Lencioni 3 Battles You Can Let Your Child Win (Episode 27, 3 in 30 Podcast) Getting Unmotivated Kids to Help (Episode 1, 3 in 30 Podcast) How to Keep Your Head Above Water (Family Looking Up Podcast) Good, Clean Fun for the Whole Family! (howshemoms.com) To read the full text of...2019-09-0939 minThe Family LabRoutine ExperimentationI like to think of my house as my laboratory, And one of one of my favorite places to experiment is with daily routines—in the morning, after school, and bedtime. They're self-contained periods of time in which specific things have to happen, but there are endless variations of how those things can happen. If one part of our day is particularly dysfunctional (and there's always something), I analyze it, identify the major pain points, and try different solutions until I find one that works for my five little lab rats. Then, I find myself actually looking for...2019-08-1922 minThe Family LabHow She Teaches Kids to Be TidyIn episode 11, we talked about how to teach kids to clean. But knowing how to clean is a very different skill from knowing how to keep a house tidy. My kids can scrub a toilet, but they have no idea where they put their shoes and socks. In this episode, we’re going to talk about how to teach our kids to be tidy. In the first half we’ll unpack the concept of tidiness a bit. Tidiness, and its counterpart, messiness, is about more than stuff. It’s a surprisingly emotional topic. Teaching our kids to be tidy...2019-08-0553 minThe Family LabThings To Love About Being a Mother--In Every StageIt’s sometimes easier to think of things you love about motherhood when you're looking backwards or forward, thinking about what you miss from past stages, or what you look forward to in future stages. So I asked my Instagram readers what they loved and I came up with my own list. Then I asked my mother and mother-in-law for their lists. This was actually the best part about writing this post, and I encourage you all to ask your moms and mother-in-laws, or any other special moms in your lives, what they loved in each stage. I treasure th...2019-07-2315 minThe Family LabHow She Teaches Kids to CleanTeaching children to clean is a daunting task, whether we have one child or 13. In this episode we talk about how to teach kids to clean, with an emphasis on what jobs different moms expect their children to do, how they train their children to do these jobs, and what systems they use, including Emily’s system. Links mentioned in this episode Why My Kids Don’t Have Chores Why I Don’t Make My Kids Do Chores Books: The Parenting Breakthrough, by Merrilee Boyack Blog Pos...2019-07-0124 minThe Family LabAn Island of My Own Solitude is a precious commodity for moms, especially when the kids are little. Sometimes entire weeks go by without a minute alone. This is the time of life when going grocery shopping alone or even going to the dentist can feel like a big vacation. Yet setting aside some time and space for yourself is an important way to recharge and help you feel like a real person. Over the years, I’ve figured out several strategies for sneaking in some islands of precious time and space for myself, even if it’s just a few...2019-06-1721 minThe Family LabHow She TravelsTraveling when you have kids takes patience, planning, and creativity—even if you're leaving them home—but it can be done! And, usually, it’s worth all the pain. In this episode, we talk about family travel strategy, packing, flying with kids, road trips with kids, and more. Here are links to some great blogs and podcasts that I mention in this episode: Podcasts Extraordinary Moms Podcast: "Tips for Packing with Jennica Woodbury" Jessica Dahlquist interviews Jennica Woodbury of mommyconvos.com and they both share great family packing ideas for both air and...2019-06-0330 minThe Family LabI'm Turning Into My Mother (At Least I Hope So)A Mother's Day tribute to my funny mom. She shares some great stories!2019-05-1223 minThe Family LabHow She StrategizesEvery mom is a career mom. Some moms have another career on top of their mom gig, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that this is a long-term, strategic career. It’s a challenging career, but the perks put health plans and 401Ks to shame—the first smiles and giggles, that indescribable feeling of having your baby fall asleep in your arms. And that newborn smell…. Then there’s the first joke they tell that is actually funny, that adorable dance recital, the late-night heart-to-hearts. It’s the most rewarding career. In this post, we’re going to talk...2019-05-0732 minThe Family LabMom's Secret Identity Links to podcasts mentioned in this episode: 3 in 30 Podcast, episode 16: "How to Be the Mom You Are Instead of the Mom You Think You Should Be" The Women With Fire, episode 51: "Jamie Cook of Wander and Scout" One Mother's Day, Lori Brescia's kids came home from church with questionnaires they had filled out about her. Under "Favorite Food," they had answered "hot dogs," "pizza," "macaroni and cheese." Under favorite color, they wrote, "orange," "blue," "red." The same pattern emerged for her favorite activities and even hair color: they had no clue. ...2019-04-2913 minThe Family LabBrataphobiaEntitlement is a first-world problem. And it's an embarrassing problem to admit, because it sounds like we're whining about our good fortune: "It's just so hard to raise kids when we have enough money to buy them things...." But just because we're embarrassed that we spoil our children doesn't mean we should ignore the fact nor let it persist. This month I went on a quest for an antidote to the raging entitlement epidemic. I gravitated to four main books on the topic, though there are many more great ones out there: The Opposite of Sp...2019-04-0821 minThe Family LabHow She Teaches Her Kids About MoneyLearning how to manage money wisely is one of those lessons that has to be learned from experience, and watching our kids make money mistakes can be painful. This episode discusses brilliant examples of how moms are teaching their kids about money, from establishing family economic systems to setting up bank accounts, to having kids help manage family finances. Here are some links to additional resources on howshemoms.com: The Great Allowance Debate — A cheesy mock debate between a commission-based system of paying children, an allowance-based system, and no system at all. Brataphobia — Afra...2019-04-0121 minThe Family LabHow She Connects With Her Kids Connecting with our kids is the big “why” of motherhood—the payoff for all the hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes it comes naturally and easy, sometimes it’s more complicated, and sometimes it’s unspeakably hard. But even then, we keep trying, because that’s what moms do. In this episode, I share ideas about how moms connect with their kids, organized into eight main ideas: 1. Plan Connection Opportunities into Your Routine 2. Make Time to Talk 3. Show Interest in their Interests 4. Play Together 5. Work Together 6. Carve Out On...2019-03-0436 minThe Family LabRaising SeabiscuitTo my surprise, Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand, turned out to be one of the best parenting books I’ve ever read.2019-03-0418 min
The Family LabHow She Does LaundryWe all have to wear clothes, and it’s better for everyone if they’re clean when we do. But even though we all do laundry, it’s not something we talk about very much. In this episode, we get down and dirty with laundry strategies and systems from several different moms.2019-03-0420 min
The Family LabHow She Moms TeaserThe How She Moms Podcast is coming soon!2019-03-0401 minAround The World With The Archibald Project44. Life in The Congo and Where The Archibald Project is Headed!Welcome back to Around the World with The Archibald Project! My name is Whitney and together with my husband Nick, we started our orphan care advocacy organization, The Archibald Project! We've been working hard to tell inspiring stories about vulnerable children ever since and our goal is to ultimately end the global orphan crisis through storytelling! We believe that the more people who see and hear our stories then the more people who will be inspired to get involved and help end the orphan crisis! In today’s episode, Nick and I share an update about our life...2018-08-2928 minAround The World With The Archibald Project31. Co-Founders Whitney & Nick Runyon Interview Each Other For TAP's 6th Anniversary!Welcome to our 6 year anniversary of the very first adoption we documented! 6 years ago today we photographed an adoption in a Bulgarian orphanage where the photos inspired another family to adopt. It was then that we saw the power of storytelling and realized that we could use our gifts to advocate for vulnerable children all over the world! In today's episode of Around the World with The Archibald Project we get up close and personal while Whitney and Nick interview each other. We love interviewing outside guests but thought it would be special to interview one another ab...2017-08-0840 minAround The World With The Archibald Project1. Welcome To Around The World With The Archibald Project!In the first episode of Around the World with The Archibald Project, co-founders Whitney and Nick Runyon talk about who they are, their careers before The Archibald Project, how the organization came to be, and share some interesting facts you might not know about The Archibald Project!2015-08-1822 min