Above Average: The podcast for big families.

What do your kids really think about Donald Trump? Hillary Clinton? How have your political views shaped theirs, regardless of their ages? Kids pick up on more than adults think, especially when it comes to polarizing topics like the 2016 election. In this episode, Lance’s wife Sarah joins as co-host to talk transparently about this election and how adults’ open discussion of it can affect your family. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com As always, if you have feedback on this show or suggestions for future ones, let us know what you think! Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Bobby and Lance are back! We talk about our families’ summer break, back-to-school time, job changes, and Epipens. Quite the grab bag, eh? We wanted to keep it light after taking a break, so this one’s a pretty chill show. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com As always, if you have feedback on this show or suggestions for future ones, let us know what you think! Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Matt Robinson is our guest on this episode. Matt’s a personal friend of Lance's, an “Above Average” father, and an experienced pharmacist. Matt joined Lance to talk about the pharmacy and medicine worlds and how they specifically affect big families. We cover a lot of ground, including how to save money on prescriptions, how to keep your family safe when meds are in the house, and the value of getting to know your pharmacist. When it comes down to it, this episode is all about keeping your family safe and healthy, and saving time and money. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Whether you’re destined to hit the pavement with a few weekly runs (with or without a jogging stroller), or you’re wondering how to cram in some solid workouts at home, Lance and Bobby share what has worked for them and their spouses. We haven’t forgotten the kids either: from smart eating habits to ideas like kids’ mini-marathons, we cover a lot of ground. If you haven’t already started, it’s time for your entire fam to get in on healthy living! For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Ever wondered what it would be like for your big fam to be in a much bigger home? Or maybe a smaller one? Lance and Bobby share their house stories and talk about how much space you really need. Topics covered include rooms and square footage, ideal layouts, and the importance of the yard when you’ve got a bunch of kids! For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

This one might be controversial, because we have no problem saying your relationship with your spouse is more important than your kids. In this episode, we’ll dig into why we feel this way and why it ends up being good for your entire family. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Benji Travis, his wife Judy, and their 3 young daughters are YouTubers. If you’re not familiar with the lingo: no, that doesn’t mean they sit around and watch online videos all day. YouTubers are content creators on that platform, and the most successful ones actually make a living from it by producing great videos that draw a large audience. How large? In the case of Benji and Judy, they have a combined audience of over 2 million subscribers who watch their videos, namely their daily vlog channel “ItsJudysLife” Benji recently joined Lance on the show and covered a lot of ground: how he and Judy have grown their audience, how they have continued to create content that their audience loves, how families can explore making money online with sites like YouTube, and what life is like with twins - and 3 kids under 3! For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Yeah, we get it - you know the world of car seats very well. After all, you’ve messed with them time and time again since you probably have a bunch of kids. But did you know 7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained in their car seats? And did you know 96% of parents think their children are correctly restrained in their seats? Take a few minutes, strap yourself in (see what we did there?), and refresh your memory with some quick safety tips for car seats (and a slew of other good info) from a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Lance’s wife, Sarah Osborne. Also: we’re doing a GIVEAWAY, thanks to our friends at Bucklebopper.com. Listen to the show and visit the show notes page for this episode at aboveaverageshow.com/34 For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

33: Why You Should Ditch Your Resolutions Tired of everyone talking about their New Year’s Resolutions yet? If you are, it’s probably because most people fail miserably at them. Don’t be that guy (or gal)! Ditch your resolutions - whether they’re about improving you or your family - and transform them into goals you can achieve. In this episode, learn the difference between resolutions and goals, why this matters, and exactly how to accomplish what you want. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2016 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

For show notes for this episode, visit aboveaverageshow.com/32. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

What was going to be a quick “Merry Christmas” message from Bobby and Lance turned into a two-part episode. Funny how that works. On Part 1, we talked about sharing the meaning of Christmas in your big family (and somehow include Jews and Atheists), materialism, and gift giving when you’ve got a bunch of kids. Here in Part 2, we’ll talk about some favorite holiday traditions in our fams. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

What was going to be a quick “Merry Christmas” message from Bobby and Lance turned into a two-part episode. Funny how that works. On Part 1, we talk about sharing the meaning of Christmas in your big family (and somehow include Jews and Atheists), materialism, and gift giving when you’ve got a bunch of kids. In Part 2 (coming up next), we’ll talk about some favorite holiday traditions in our fams. If you’re reading this at the time of release, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

We’ve broken down this topic into two parts: talking and doing. When you’ve got a bunch of kids, both are important. (And even though Thanksgiving is right around the corner as of the date we’re posting this episode, these ideas are evergreen.) For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

Lance talks with Jason Evert about his family, how to teach the importance of chastity to your family when you’ve got a bunch of kids, and they even discuss some of Jason’s favorite books and Evert family traditions. By the way, Jason’s a father of 6 - they “get” being Above Average. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Josh in Virginia wrote in to the show asking, “When did you decide to have a big family? Or did it just happen (or happening) one kid at a time?” Lance and Bobby answer: “Oh boy…” Well, it may be a little more detailed than that. Dig in to learn more about Josh’s situation and our response and experiences.

When you think about lifestyles that indicate someone’s really got it together, what do you think of? A fancy house or car? Retiring early? Or maybe it’s someone who’s a part of the upper crust - a celebrity or a Wall Street tycoon? What about a big family? In this episode, we talk about some recent articles that show that - for some who live in elite ZIP codes and earn huge money - having an Above Average family is a growing trend. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Subliminal inflation has been a sneaky trend for years, preying on the bank accounts of shoppers who don’t even know it exists. Learn how to find it and what you can do to overcome it. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

The second part to this week’s show: a recording of Pope Francis’ unscripted speech at the World Meeting of Families event in Philadelphia from September 2015.

This week’s show is broken up into two parts. First, a discussion with Lance and Sarah about the Pope’s recent US visit. In the second part, you’ll hear a full recording of Pope Francis’ unscripted speech to the World Mtg of Families audience on September 26.

Newsflash: Kids don’t come in the world knowing much. Just like we have to teach them the basics like getting dressed or the alphabet, parents have a duty to raise children who know the value of personality responsibility. But sometimes that’s hard when it seems like you’ve got more kids than minutes in the day? Above Average is here to help and share what we’ve done in our families that’s worked (so far). For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter. ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC http://osborne.io

Can you relate to ALL THE STUFF an Above Average family has? Is your garage and endless pile of children's toys, bikes, and balls? Do you store it away? How much do you keep? Tune in to this episode to hear the guys discuss and offer practical tips and simple encouragement.

Find yourself dealing with work interruptions too often, like when you're not at work? Here are a few ways to make the best of it without driving your family crazy. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

In this episode, we talk about a few fun fall family activities to get you and your crew outside enjoying the weather, smells, and tastes of the season. For more episodes, serious show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

Shortly after dinner, your brain reminds you that you're getting ready to run the final race of the day: the kids' bedtime. Maybe this will sound familiar: you rush to get the kids clean, then you rush to make sure they’re all simultaneously getting dressed, brushing teeth, hanging up towels, and putting away dirty clothes. Then begins the actual bedtime battle: story time, prayers, lights out… lights on again… (repeat), then maybe some thumping or loud whispering. And if you’re lucky, silence comes shortly thereafter. But then someone needs a drink of water. (And then maybe Mommy and Daddy need a drink of something else.) It seems like it never ends. After all, it's a marathon even if you choose to sprint through parts of it. And while this would be busy enough for any family, as we all know when you have a bunch of kids: if there’s drama, it’s multiplied. And then you realize it's only Sunday night, and you have a few more "school nights" ahead of you this week. But take heart: you're not alone. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

Jenny Martin, the writer behind Southern Savers and a mother of 5, joins Lance to discuss what it's like working from home while homeschooling your kids, what makes southernsavers.com tick, and of course how to save a ton of money for your big family by using simple Southern Savers methods. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

If you already have a big family, you could write a “pro / con” list in a heartbeat. But an article we came across had a short list like this that was worth poking fun at. There are some valid points that’ll hit home with anyone in our large-family-life shoes, but this list was just so random we thought it would be fun to pick it apart. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

“How are we supposed to give all those kids individual attention?” is one of the classic challenges with (or objections to!) a big family. Lance and Bobby walk through a number of things they and their wives have done to help with this problem, but also discuss how it may not be *that* big of an issue to begin with. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

It’s back to school time! And we can’t think of a better time to talk about the options you have when it comes to educating your big family. We look at the big three - Public Schools (free! close to home!), Private Schools (high quality! faith formation!), and Homeschooling (environment! flexibility!) - and share our experiences with each. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

With lots of kids, who sleeps where in your house? Who gets their own room? Do they make quadruple bunkbeds? When you've got an Above Average family, sometimes it's complicated figuring out this stuff. Lance and Bobby cover all this and more in this episode. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

Have you ever wondered why some of your kids respond well to bullet point instructions, but then others need a 10 minute class with an annotated bibliography? Maybe it’s their personality style (or maybe it’s yours). LifePlan and business leadership expert Chris LoCurto joins Lance and Bobby to discuss the value of knowing the personality styles of everyone in your household - including yourself. Including a walkthrough of the popular DISC profile, this episode is packed with incredible (and dare we say life changing?) info. You might want to grab a pen. For more episodes, show notes, and general awesomeness, visit http://aboveaverageshow.com Contact: theaboveaverageshow@gmail.com, @osborne on Twitter, ©2015 Osborne Strategies, LLC. http://osborne.io

Dr. John Phillips, a board certified pediatrician, sits down with Lance and discusses taking your big family to see the doctor, the “screen time” problem, and the benefits he has seen kids experience when they have many siblings.

It’s summertime! And for many families that means some road tripping is about to go down. Lance and Bobby tackle a ton in this episode, from how to stay sane in the van (or - in some cases - bus) to eating healthy on the road.

Celebrities are people, too. And, like us, sometimes they have Above Average families. Lance and his beautiful wife / guest host Sarah discuss 10 famous actors, musicians, and business people who have or hail from big families. Some of them might surprise you.

Insight from a 2013 study shows that when it comes to preventing divorce in adulthood, the more siblings the better. This is BIG news for big families! In this episode, Lance and Bobby unpack the research, share some highlights, and generally do a lot of head nodding in support of the data.

When you take your big family out to eat, is it an adventure or pure torture? In Episode 10, the guys discuss the pros and cons of taking a bunch of kids to fast food places and restaurants with table service. And if you listen all the way to the end and finish your food, you get to play on the play place!

Part 2 of the “*another* new baby” discussion. Lance and Bobby walk through some of their experiences with the hospital stay and the eventual return home with a new baby.

Your family’s already big. So, what’s it like when you add another baby to the mix? In the first part of a two-part series, Lance and Bobby go over some of the prep Above Average families do immediately before the new addition arrives.

Can you relate to ALL THE STUFF an Above Average family has? Is your garage and endless pile of children's toys, bikes, and balls? Do you store it away? How much do you keep? Tune in to this episode to hear the guys discuss and offer practical tips and simple encouragement.

When you already have a lot of bodies in your home, what are some practical things to consider when you're hosting even more bodies? In this episode the guys talk about what to consider when you have family members or even another "Above Average" family coming to visit and stay with you!

"Are those all yours?" asked the stranger at the grocery store as you maneuvered your brood through the aisles. "Oh my - *another* baby?!" said your mother-in-law after you revealed the big news. In this episode Lance and Bobby discuss catchphrases like these and share how they deal with the pressure society and relatives often put on a growing big family.

Lance and Bobby are joined by their wives, Sarah and Katherine. They introduce themselves, discuss their roles in our big fams, and share some of their favorite momma moments.

Fresh air and sunshine is the best cure for restless kids. But kicking your kids outside and getting them involved in sports and extra-curriculars can be a little more challenging when it involves more people and large age gaps.

What happens when you bring the party to, well, the party? We’ll explore the pros and cons, and some practical tips on how to (or to not) take over the party when you and your crew roll up to spend some time with a smaller family or kidless buddies.

Episode 1! We start off by introducing co-host Bobby Ehrhardt. Then we dig in on this week’s topic: a little car talk. But as most big family folks will understand - it’s much more mini-van than muscle car.

A little bit about the show from host Lance Osborne. Includes some background and preview of what's in store.