Famous at Home
We all long to put our families center stage. Yet, in a world that competes for our time, attention, and identity, we often give our family the leftovers instead of our full, undivided hearts. Welcome to the Famous at Home podcast, with marriage and leadership coaches, Dr. Josh and Christi Straub. With a realistic, grace-filled look at the struggles families face, the Famous at Home podcast is like having a cup of coffee with authentic friends who just “get you,” yet with the practical and life-changing coaching strategies Josh and Christi use to help spouses, parents, and leaders stay emotionally engag...
Raising Confident, Resourceful, and Resilient Kids
We all want our kids to be confident, resourceful, and to know what they’re good at. The trouble is that we make two big mistakes as parents: We either don’t give them enough challenge, or we burn them out with too much.
Do your kids know that they have what it takes to overcome struggle?
Do they feel confident in knowing what to do when it comes to life skills and everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, or taking care of animals?
Do they know what they’re good at and have a healthy...
The Feeling of Joy: Why it Scares us + How to Pass it on
Get ready for the early episode pivot in this one, folks. Talking about their marriage a few minutes into recording, Josh and Christi had a moment that sent them spiraling into laughter. The atmosphere shifted, so they shifted with it. And the result?
A conversation about joy!
In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about why joy can be so difficult to feel. “We’re actually scared of joy,” Christi says. “It is such an intense emotion that our bodies feel under threat.” Christi goes on to say, “The feeling of joy is so big that you can’t star...
Inner Child Parts, Epigenetic Transmission, and Parenting
Have you felt yourself revert back to a child in the way you react to your kids, or a particular situation?
Watching from the sideline, Josh recently had a moment where his inner child wounds collided with the reality of the his son’s experience on the soccer field. When we come face-to-face with the dissonance between the way we REACT, and the way we want to ACT, something deeper is often at play. Becoming mindful of those moments, and how we respond to them, influences what we pass onto our kids.
In this episode, Josh & Chr...
Why Emotional Safety is the Bedrock of Parenting
In this episode, we lay the foundation for what really matters most when it comes to raising Gen Alpha kids—emotional safety. It’s also the beginning of how we got started with Famous at Home — discovering the power of, and talking about how to cultivate, a posture of emotional safety in our homes for our kids.
As we continue season 8 on Parenting Gen Alpha, we define what emotional safety is and why it matters for getting every outcome we desire in our kids.
We also talk about the four walls of parenting, the importance of reparen...
The One Factor For Raising Resilient Kids
One of the most intriguing, humbling, and challenging aspects of being a parent is how our kids mirror who WE are.
And what’s really difficult are the societal — or cultural — norms shaping who we are as humans.
Who are we becoming as adults?
How are the decisions we make shaping our kids?
Do our unrealized emotions influence how resilient our kids are becoming?
As we continue our series on Raising Gen Alpha Kids, these are questions Dr. Josh and Christi address. Some highlights include:
What it means to “choose your hard”How loneline...
The Spiritual and Emotional Influence of Parental Fear
The stats of anxiety, depression, and stress on Gen Z (ages 14-28) are scary and higher than ever before. That’s not hyperbole.
What have been the cultural, familial, and individual influences at work, and what can parents of Gen Alpha (ages 0-13) learn from where we find ourselves?
We believe that parents hold the keys to influencing the next generation. And there is much more hope than might appear at the surface.
But the way through is by first addressing what may be our greatest adversary: Our own parental fears.
In this e...
Why Marriage Feels Hard + How to Break Free with Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
Marriage is arguably the most sanctifying relationship on the planet. Just consider the following questions:
Why is it that we tend to think our spouse is out to get us?
Why do we assume the worst about him / her?
What causes us to get so defensive?
Why do we get so offensive in our reactions?
Are the offenses we carry worth it?
Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, best-selling author of Love and Respect, joins us to talk about the lightbulb moments he discovered in 20 years of helping men and women stop living in their c...
Kids, Fear, and Helping Your Adult Children with Max Lucado
Epigenetics is real. In other words, there’s a trickle down effect onto our kids based on our beliefs, feelings, and the environment in which we raise them.
In this episode, Pastor Max Lucado joins the show to talk about helping parents meet children in their anxious thoughts. Having written multiple books on anxiety, Pastor Lucado has a new 90-day devotional called Calm Thoughts for Kids, and joins the show to talk about what he’s seeing as a grandparent and how parents today can help their kids with their anxious days.
Having just become a grandp...
The Love Language That Matters Most with Dr. Gary Chapman
What is the love language that matters most?!
That’s the focus of this week’s episode, as our friend, Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, joins us to talk about his new book by the same name, The Love Language That Matters Most.
In this episode, Dr. Chapman drops some serious one-liners to teach us how to practically identify and love our spouse in their own dialect. Sound intriguing to you? The insights are profound.
Here are some of the gold nuggets Dr. Chapman shares:
Why our agenda takes preceden...
Being a Victim of Parenthood & Bringing Order to Chaos
Quick note: If you haven't yet downloaded the Famous at Home app, see show notes below to download. Be sure to turn notifications on for the latest encouragement from Famous at Home.
Welcome to a brand new season called Loving Well!
In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about bringing order to all of the things in your home and life that might feel disordered. Why order? Because love gets smothered where chaos reigns. When we're in survival, we have a limited ability to look outward and love well.
Josh and...
A Christmas Message From Josh + Christi
What does the star have to do with your soul? What does it mean to "make room" in your heart?
In this episode, Josh and Christi each offer a personal Christmas reflection and message to you, our Famous at Home family.
May this Christmas be filled with wonder and awe for you and your family.
Merry Christmas from Famous at Home!
Show Notes:
Register for Tender & Fierce 2026! https://www.famousathome.com/tenderandfierce
Want a marriage you love in 2026? Fill out this form and we'll be in to...
Helping Kids Think Critically with Tuttle Twins Show Creator Daniel Harmon
We have three special guests this week to share with you content and a TV series that has created such helpful, engaging, and at times, challenging dialogue between us as parents and our children.
In the episode, Josh and Christi’s kids, Landon and Kennedy, join the show to interview Daniel Harmon, the creator of the Tuttle Twins TV show. The Tuttle Twins book series and TV show tackles topics we often don’t know how to address with our kids.
If you’re looking for family friendly content you can engage with your kids, check out Tutt...
5 Ways to Find "the Good" for Your Family This Christmas
Why does it feel like stress always has the loudest voice during “busy” seasons? We want everyone in our family to get along, enjoy the holidays, and be truly present. Yet, it seems we all too often end up bickering, overwhelmed, and somehow wishing it could be different.
Good news! Your family doesn’t have to succumb to the stress. You can find “the good!” In this episode, we walk through 5 ways to find “the good,” not just at Christmastime, but in any busy season you find yourself in.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
How the Lord’s Prayer Can Transform Your Family with Brad Gray
Have you ever felt stuck in knowing how to disciple your kids? Or perhaps even where to begin?
We’ve got some answers! In this episode, biblical scholar and founder of Walking the Text, Brad Gray joins the podcast to talk about his new book Bringing Heaven Here, and his new feature film now airing on Angel Studios called The Lord’s Prayer.
Brad joins us to talk about what fascinated him so much about the Lord’s Prayer, why it’s the heartbeat of Jesus’ entire ministry, and how it applies contextually to our lives today. As...
Embracing “Presence” as Families This Christmas
Advent season is about “waiting in anticipation” for Jesus’ coming. In the Western world, we wait by throwing Christmas parties, buying presents, and trying to avoid the hustle and bustle.
But instead of trying to avoid, what if we tried to embrace? It’s one thing to avoid, it’s quite another to step into something with intention. In this episode, Josh and Christi share ways of embracing presence this Christmas — both with your spouse and kids, and with God as well.
They cover some key highlights from their Advent book for families, The 25 Days of the Christma...
How the Body and Nervous System Protect our Kids
Have you ever said your child, “Don’t yell at your brother!” What’s happening in a child’s body filled with anger is louder than what’s going on in their brain. As Christi says in this episode, “Our body sends 10 messages to our brain for every 1 our brain sends to our body.” This is why lecturing an overwhelmed child often feels useless.
In other words, our body speaks louder than our brain. So why have we stopped listening to the body? What’s actually going in our child’s body in their anger? What’s happening on our body in our ange...
10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World with Dr. Jean Twenge
Have you ever taken a device from your child only to have them lose their ever-loving mind? According to social researcher Dr. Jean Twenge, “That’s a good thing.”
Dr. Twenge graciously joins us in season 6 to talk about raising kids in a high-tech world. Dr. Twenge is one of the most prominent researchers of our day on generational differences and how screens are harming our brains and ability to related. But not only does she research it, she lives it and makes it incredibly practical for us as parents.
She highlights a few key truths. For ex...
Helping Kids Wrestle with Faith and Doubt with Landon Straub
"I used to think church was boring," says Landon, Josh and Christi’s 13-year-old son. He joins the show to talk about how he is learning to navigate faith and doubt, the defining faith moments he's had as a child, and what he's focused on now that he's entering his teenage years.
In this episode, we continue season 6 on Relational Intelligence in Kids by talking about how kids navigate faith and our role as parents in coming alongside them.
Landon shares the defining moments in his life that helped him through seasons of doubt, fear, and bore...
Feelings, Emotions, and Spiritual Jiujitsu with Kennedy Straub
If you have children, this episode is worth every minute. Kennedy Straub, Josh and Christi’s beloved daughter, joins the show to talk about how she’s learning to navigate emotions and feelings through the lens of an 11-year-old.
In this episode, we continue season 6 on Relational Intelligence in Kids by talking about the difference between emotions and feelings. For example, did you know that emotions keep you safe and feelings keep you aware? Or that one of them causes you “to move” or take action?
Kennedy also shares the tools she’s using to identify feelings and...
Raising Kids Outside the Matrix
Make no mistake, we live in a matrix. And the bar set by Western culture for raising children is deceptively low. As parents, we do everything we can to give our kids an advantage. But is more parenting “knowledge“ really what we need? Are child outcomes really better today than they were 10 to 20 years ago?
In this episode, we continue season 6 on Relational Intelligence in Kids by offering a new, yet ancient, paradigm for raising our children -- a paradigm that removes shame, grants God-given purpose, and breaks us free from the matrix.
Time Stamps:<...
A Child’s Longing for Safety and Presence
Kids are vulnerable, and vulnerability longs for safety. Perhaps it’s no wonder Jesus tells us to become like little children. Over time, our hearts grow hardened.
In this episode, Josh describes what children need, and talks about the “why” behind the new KidsRQ (Relational Intelligence) curriculum.
*Note: This is a continuation from last week's episode Cultivating Relational Intelligence in Kids
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 The vulnerability and dependence of a child
9:40 The presence of Jesus in our healing journey
f11:50 KidsRQ curriculum layout and experiential exercises
16:35 Get in with a...
Cultivating Relational Intelligence in Kids
We all want to raise emotionally intelligent kids. Even more, we want them to be spiritually alive. For us, that’s what relational intelligence is all about. An overflow of experiencing the relational gospel of Jesus.
As we begin season 6, we’re covering relational intelligence in kids. In this episode, we start by introducing a brand new initiative called KidsRQ!
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
3:00 The shift from emotional to relational intelligence
7:56 Kevin Wallace joins the show to talk about the creative journey
14:30 What is KidsRQ?
19:06 Emotion regulation and increasing rates of an...
Cultivating Emotional Safety in Marriage
Christi and Josh talk about the nervous system, childhood wounds, and why the motivation behind our spouse’s anger or criticism is deeper than we often give them credit for.
If you’re looking to have an understanding of your pain cycle and how to cultivate a deeper sense of emotional safety in your marriage, this episode is for you.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:15 Christi and Josh update on life this summer
6:15 Josh shares what’s coming for season 6
7:50 Introduction to the emotionally safe marriage
10:40 Your spouse’s motivation in the pain...
Tender & Fierce: An Interview with Christi Straub
The Tender & Fierce cohort is coming up again this fall! As we find ourselves sitting in between seasons on the Famous at Home podcast, we are replaying an interview with Christi about what it means to awaken the tender & fierce parts of your heart.
In this interview, Christi talks about how Tender & Fierce got started and answers questions about the Tender & Fierce cohort. She also shares how to awaken the tender and fierce part of who you are, why it begins with curiosity, and how it is enhanced through community.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction<...
Relational Joy: Why You Need It and How to Grow It
Think about the deep neurobiological connection happening in your brain as you walk into a room and encounter someone who lights up at your presence, and the fulfilling sensation of knowing that person is beaming from the inside out with only one message, “I am so glad to be with YOU!”
Without relational joy, there is no relational intelligence. Instead, relational joy is the antidote to the numbing out of our hurried lives because you walk around with a sense of knowing you are seen and loved.
As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, Josh provides what...
How To Talk To Your Kids About Sex with Sam Jolman
Sam Jolman says, “Talking to your children about sex should be likened to having 100 one-minute conversations.”
As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, therapist and author Sam Jolman joins us once again, this time to talk about how to help our kids script a narrative of romance.
In this episode, Sam shares profound insights on age-specific ways to talk to your kids about their body, why it’s important to follow their questions, and how to cultivate a value-based, not a fear-based conversation. In the end, the goal is to help our kids experience awe, not live in...
Redeeming Marital Sexuality: An Interview with Sam Jolman
Sam Jolman says, “The realm of evil hates your sexuality… [and] tries to, as quickly and as early as possible, join shame to your sexual story.”
As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, therapist and author Sam Jolman joins us to talk about sex in marriage. Shame wreaks havoc on intimacy and relational connection, keeping us isolated and feeling alone.
It was never intended to be this way. Author of The Sex Talk You Never Got, Sam offers a refreshing, pure, and healing perspective on how to discuss, heal, and redeem intimacy with your spouse.
<...
How Screens Shape Our Nervous System
How well do you manage your relationship with the screen? How would your spouse describe how well you manage your relationship with the screen? What about your kids?
As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, we discuss screen time and its effects on our nervous system. We share some sobering statistics about screens and hope by the end you honestly evaluate the answer to the question, “What role does the screen play in the quality of my life?”
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
3:20 How do you relate with your screen?
8:57 Screens and the nervo...
The Complicated Beauty of Forgiveness
Forgiving others can be complicated. Especially when you’ve been hurt deeply by those you love the most.
As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, we discuss the reality of forgiveness, why it’s so complicated, and a helpful process for forgiving others. We also offer a beautiful story of deep forgiveness in marriage as a model and a path forward.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction to forgiveness and why it matters
3:16 The reality and process of forgiveness
7:50 The people we have to forgive
10:22 The complicated beauty of forgiveness
17:32 An example of fo...
How Self Protection Hurts Relationships
Why do we self-protect in relationships? Especially if it hurts our deepest levels of intimacy with those we love?
Though we’re hurt in relationships, we’re also healed in relationships. As we continue season 5 on relational intelligence, we discuss the ways we self-protect, why self-protection is a form of artificial intelligence, and how to break free. Our hope for this episode is to give you hope that you can surrender self-protection and discover deeper relational connection with those you love.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
4:00 The ripple effect of relat...
Marriage and Relational Intelligence
In season 5, we’re talking about relational intelligence. In this episode, we’re specifically looking at it through the lens of marriage, the delicate dance of intimacy, and why emotional safety is so important.
We also introduce season 5, which covers hot topics that challenge how we think about relationships, why we become numb to them, and how to navigate relational connections with those we love in a world becoming more artificially intelligent.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction to season 5
3:00 The face-to-face nature of relational connection
4:19 Why and how we numb in relationships
13:11 Defini...
Everyday Realities of Parenting: Constant Demands & Interruptions
In this episode, we address listener submitted questions, each of them around the constant demands and interruptions that come with raising children. Christi also walks us through an exercise to help calm nervous system dysregulation.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
4:15 Costco trips, homeschooling, and the evolution of a marriage and family
8:48 A practical exercise for nervous system regulation in the moment
15:55 Listener question: Mom of 4 littles trying to find a soul at rest with all the demands
26:36 Listener question: How to prioritize our sanity when constantly interrupted
Show Notes:
Loving Your Marriage
What does it mean to "love your marriage?" Is it something you've thought about? Or perhaps something you brag about to others?
In this episode, Josh talks about what we mean by loving your marriage, the deeper meaning of marriage, and poses three revealing questions to ask yourself about your marriage.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Tender & Fierce coming up
2:55 What we mean by loving your marriage
9:50 The purpose of marriage
13:44 Falling in love over and over again
16:27 How our marriage influences our kids
17:30 Cultivating our marriage with the Br...
Relational Healing Through Grief and Loss with Laurie Lokey
Sometimes people come into your life as mentors, but they also become dear friends. We met Bill and Laurie Lokey in 2018 and little did we know how Bill’s cancer journey would unite our hearts and deepen our friendship.
As we continue our series on The People Who Shape Us, Laurie joins Christi to talk about the healing nature of relationships through grief and loss. No matter the loss in your life, whether it’s the loss of a spouse or loved one, or even the loss of a dream or deep relational hurt, we hope this conversation betw...
The Friends Who Shape Us with Luke and Courtney Smallbone
Have you ever been walking through life when you happen to look over and see someone else walking in the same direction? It’s like your spirit shouts, “Oh, me too!”
This is precisely what happened to Josh and Christi with their dearest friends, Luke (one-half of 4-Time Grammy Award winning For King & Country duo) and his wife, Courtney (founder of Technicolor Woman and author of Technicolor Woman Devotional).
Their ensuing friendship is one they share about in this episode, because it’s a testament to how our closest relationships shape our character. And that’s not just a...
Fighting for Good in Blended Families with Mike and Sharon Hess
For the first time ever, Josh’s parents, Mike and Sharon Hess, join the show! We’re in a season called The People Who Shape Us, and we thought it fitting to have the most influential people in our lives share their own story of faith, and in this case, blended family.
Josh shares his perspective of growing up in a blended family, and Mike and Sharon address co-parenting, raising kids in a two income home on shift work, and overcoming shame. Looking for hope and healing in your story? May this one be your catalyst.
...
Fighting for Good in Blended Families with Mike and Sharon Hess
For the first time ever, Josh’s parents, Mike and Sharon Hess, join the show! We’re in a season called The People Who Shape Us, and we thought it fitting to have the most influential people in our lives share their own story of faith, and in this case, blended family.
Josh shares his perspective of growing up in a blended family, and Mike and Sharon address co-parenting, raising kids in a two income home on shift work, and overcoming shame. Looking for hope and healing in your story? May this one be your catalyst.
...
From Friendship to Sisterhood: A Conversation with Courtney Smallbone
Did you know that being socially isolated is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day! What's really sad about this is that we're seemingly more "connected" than we've ever been, but research shows we're also more isolated.
Friend, it should be obvious by now that being "connected" does not equal relational intimacy.
That's why we're addressing the beauty found in friendship as we continue our series on The People Who Shape Us. In this episode, Christi hosts her dear friend turned sister, Courtney Smallbone (author of Technicolor Woman Devotional of which you'll want to grab a copy!) to talk abo...
How Our Parents Shape Us with Ray and Lora Lee Wood
This episode boasts the MOST influential people we’ve ever had on the podcast! Ray and Lora Lee Wood, aka Christi’s Dad and Mum, join us for the first time ever to talk about what it was like parenting Christi (quite a trip) and the lessons they learned from being parents.
This is a fantastic multigenerational episode for parents, grandparents, and in-laws alike. Ray and Lora Lee share practical and life-giving insights for parents across all ages and stages, and the secrets to keeping all three generations of their adult children and grandchildren so relationally close.
Experiencing Jesus with John Eldredge
As we continue our series on “The People Who Shape Us,” John Eldredge joins us. He is someone who has shaped how we pray and ultimately how we relate with Jesus ourselves. He’s been a mentor and spiritual father to many, and has significantly shaped how we lead even our children to experience Jesus for themselves.
In the beautiful, kind words of a spiritual father, John shares stories about how he healed while raising his own kids, and what that healing did for how he started to relate to and experience the love of Abba in his own li...
