The New Family Podcast

Brandie Weikle is a veteran parenting editor who created The New Family Podcast to highlight how families actually look in the real world -- blended families, single-parent households, same-sex parents, adoptive families, multigenerational homes, and everything in between. The show grew out of her 1,000 Families Project, which collected first-person stories from families of every shape and size, and that inclusive spirit runs through every episode. Each installment features an in-depth conversation with either a family sharing their personal story or an expert -- therapists, educators, researchers -- offering practical advice on contemporary parenting challenges. Topics range from navigating co-parenting after divorce to supporting children's mental health to managing screen time in a way that actually works. Episodes run anywhere from 22 minutes to over an hour, depending on the depth of the conversation. The podcast has earned a 4.9-star rating from listeners who appreciate its thoughtful, nonjudgmental tone. Brandie brings a journalist's curiosity and an editor's precision to her interviews, asking the kinds of follow-up questions that get past surface-level parenting platitudes and into genuinely useful territory. The show launched in 2015 and has built a library of 100 episodes connected to the broader thenewfamily.com community. For parents who want to feel less alone in the messiness of raising kids -- especially parents whose family structures do not fit the traditional mold -- this podcast consistently delivers honest, empathetic conversations that leave you with something concrete to think about or try.