1000 Hours Outsides podcast

Angela Hanscom—founder of TimberNook and author of Balanced and Barefoot—is back, and this conversation goes somewhere we've never gone before: the behind-the-scenes yes that built a worldwide movement out of one mom's quiet, out-of-her-comfort-zone obedience. We talk entrepreneurship in this episode and so much more. If you've ever felt pulled toward something meaningful but intimidating, this episode will be the nudge forward you need. Angela also talks about motherhood in the middle of all that work: your kids are watching your courage, humility, and resilience. We talk fear (ticks, travel, being the center of attention), discernment (how to recognize what's from God), and why 60 minutes of movement isn't remotely enough for kids who are made to move for hours. Angela shares what thrilling play actually looks like and why it's one of the most practical ways we can push back on the social-emotional crisis we're seeing in children. If this episode encourages you, share it with a friend who needs hope—and please leave a review. It's one of the simplest ways to help more families find this message. Thanks for listening! Get your copy of Balanced and Barefoot here Check out TimberNook here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Ginny's Top 10 Books of 2025 list for FREE ⁠here⁠ Get your free 2026 tracker sheet ⁠here Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Ginny Yurich, founder of 1000 Hours Outside, starts 2026 in the most Ginny way possible: a rare, slightly-uncomfortable solo episode chosen on purpose, because New Year's Day landed on episode 666, and she decided to “fall on the sword” herself. From there, she pulls you into the real origin story of 1000 Hours Outside: a young mom in over her head, three little kids, no sleep, and the first truly good day she'd had in years, September 2011 at a Michigan park, when four to six hours outside (a Charlotte Mason idea she initially thought was ridiculous) changed everything. This episode is a rally cry for families who want more peace, more play, more courage, and less screen-shaped childhood, plus practical ways to start tracking, building a life with “not enough time for screens,” and letting nature become the place where kids grow up incrementally… and parents learn to trust them. Along the way, Ginny shares her top 10 most meaningful books of 2025 (out of 210 books read during the year!), the quotes that steadied her this year, and why reading, walking, and outside time are “time-protection” habits in a world designed to co-opt attention. She also reads the marketing language from Replika AI out loud, because it genuinely alarms her, and makes a clear, compassionate case for choosing the real thing: real friends, real discomfort, real growth, real life. The episode closes with hope for listeners carrying heavy burdens into the new year, and ends with “Beautiful World,” a song and musical collaboration featuring Ginny's daughters because the whole point is this: childhood isn't meant to be performed on a screen. It's meant to be lived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Get your free 2026 tracker sheet ⁠here ** If you've been living in that exhausted loop—your kid pushes, you react, everyone feels awful, and then you hate how the day ended—this conversation will feel like someone opened a window in your house. Kirk Martin (The Calm Parenting Podcast) helps you name what's actually happening when you're “triggered" and why your anxiety often creates the exact opposite outcome you want. Together we talk about the real-life triggers that hijack parents (dawdling, messes, perceived disrespect), how to stop taking kid behavior personally, and how to slow your world down enough to respond with clarity instead of resentment. Then we go deeper because strong-willed kids don't just test your patience, they test your marriage. Kirk shares practical ways couples can stay aligned, how to stop getting played off each other, and why your home doesn't need more lectures or tighter control—it needs connection and a little more fun. This is the perspective shift every tired parent needs: the very traits that irritate you now may be the same traits that will make your child brave, persuasive, resilient, and capable later. You're not behind. You're not failing. And you can start changing the tone of your home today. Learn more about Kirk and all he has to offer (including his podcast and courses) here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack ⁠here⁠ Get your free 2026 tracker sheet here ** If you've ever looked around at your family and thought, Why is everything so hard right now? - this episode will make you feel less alone, and a whole lot more clear. Ginny Yurich sits down again with Mike McLeod, author of The Executive Function Playbook, and it's one of those conversations that puts language to what parents are living every day: the exhaustion of being your child's “prefrontal cortex,” the nonstop prompting, the homework vortex, and the fear that this isn't getting better. Mike is honest about ADHD being serious and also full of hope about what actually helps kids build independence. You'll learn why ADHD is better understood as an executive function developmental delay, why “not everything is a screen problem” but the internet-connected screens are in a league of their own, and why play and boredom aren't frivolous extras. Mike explains working memory and why it matters and so much more. This episode is a rallying cry for parents who want to protect childhood, lower the temperature in their home, and give their kids back the experiences that build a capable life. If it helps you, share it with a friend and leave a review. Get your copy of The Executive Function Playbook here Get your copy of The Executive Function Playbook in Action here Learn more about GrowNow ADHD here Listen to Dr. Russell Barkley on YouTube here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack here Get your free 2026 tracker sheets here ** In this conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with natural playscape designer and author Rusty Keeler to talk about what kids are actually built for: climbing, hiding, building, negotiating, tumbling, experimenting, and testing themselves in the real world. Rusty shares how a trip to Europe shifted his whole philosophy from equipment-based playgrounds to wild, nature-rich spaces full of loose parts, nooks and crannies, mud, water, tools, and possibility—plus why his book Adventures in Risky Play is basically a permission slip for parents who feel like childhood has gotten over-managed. Rusty reminds us that kids don't need us to manufacture wonder. They need time, space, and a little more trust. Find Rusty's work (including his Play Nature Podcast) and explore the book/resources he mentions here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern life is quietly thinning out things that matter like friendship, purpose, contentment, and presence. In this episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich talks with pastor and author Noah Herrin about what it actually looks like to grow into manhood in a culture that keeps lowering expectations while demanding more attention than ever. They talk about why real friendships don't happen by accident, why community without commitment never lasts, and why some men need to stop waiting for connection and start “friend hunting” on purpose. This is a hopeful, honest conversation for husbands, fathers, teen boys, and the parents raising them. Noah shares simple boundaries that protect family life, tools for using technology without being owned by it, and a brilliant system for capturing ideas without mental clutter. If you've felt the tension between wanting a meaningful life and feeling pulled in ten directions, this episode names it—and offers a better way forward. Get your copy of Welcome to Manhood here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Gustin didn't set out to be a parenting voice. He became one the hard way. In this conversation, Jon talks honestly about early exposure to alcohol, years of running from anxiety, and what happened when becoming a father forced him to stop numbing and start paying attention. He shares what it was like to quit drinking, face anxiety head-on, and rebuild his marriage and inner life while raising young kids. There's no dramatic turnaround story here—just the quiet, difficult work of changing patterns so they don't get passed down. From there, the conversation turns to modern childhood. Screens. Phones. Messy houses. Kids growing up too fast. Jon makes a simple but urgent case: childhood needs protection—not through fear or control, but through attention. Paying attention to what kids are doing, who they're becoming, and whether they're being pushed into an adult world too soon. This episode is for parents who sense something is off, who don't want to overreact or opt out of modern life—but who also refuse to sleepwalk through it. Thoughtful, steady, and deeply reassuring. Learn more about Jon and all he has to offer here Pre-order Jon's book, The Tired Dad here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get your *FREE* 2026 1000 Hours Outside Tracker Sheet here: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/trackers Focus, confidence, and emotional regulation don't start with worksheets. They start with crawling, climbing, messy hands, and sensory play. In this conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with pediatric physical therapist and TimberNook provider Kathryn Kraft to talk about why the developing brain needs touch and movement and what happens when kids are rushed, managed, and transitioned every 20 minutes. You'll hear why TimberNook's “time and space” makes such a radical difference for child development, why free play looks chaotic before it looks creative, and why the simplest outdoor objects can become the best kind of therapy. Kathryn's work is built for all kids. She shares how her nonprofit LIVEfor began after insurance cut off therapy for a baby who still needed support and how that moment grew into outdoor programs where children with mobility challenges and neurodiversities aren't separated from other children. You'll hear practical ideas for making outdoor play accessible for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you feel like you're living at hummingbird speed—heart racing, always “behind,” never quite done—this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. Eryn Lynum is back for her second appearance, and she brings the kind of gentle, sturdy wisdom about how all of nature rests and prepares to rest. Through the stunning design of creation Eryn helps us see what we've forgotten: rest isn't a reward for finishing everything. It's part of the design. It's how we were meant to live. Together, Ginny and Eryn talk about Sabbath in a real-life family rhythm—preparing for it, protecting it, and letting it become the day that reconnects you to God and the people you love most. They explore “Selah pauses,” seasons of waiting , and the quiet truth nature keeps repeating: everything fruitful has a rhythm. If you're heading into a new year craving calm, clarity, and a pace that actually feels sustainable, press play—then share this one with a friend who's running on fumes, and leave a quick review so more families can find it. Get your copy of The Nature of Rest here Check out the Nat Theo Podcast here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sina McCullough did everything “right.” She had a PhD in nutrition. She cooked from scratch. She bought organic. And still, her health fell apart. Autoimmune disease. Chronic infections. Miscarriages. Crushing fatigue. At her lowest point, she couldn't lift a cup to drink without her young son helping her. In this episode, Sina tells Ginny the moment she hit rock bottom and the prayer she prayed asking God for one more chance at life. What happened next is hard to explain away: off the floor in three days, pain-free in three months, disease-free in a year. And a promise she made to spend the rest of her life helping others find their second chance too. This conversation isn't about perfection or fear or doing everything. It's about clarity. Sina explains why food labels often give a false sense of security, why “gluten-free” and “organic” don't always mean what we think they do, and why healing can't be reduced to a sticker on a package. She and Ginny talk about getting outside as real medicine—breathing in microbial diversity, regulating the nervous system, letting nature do what it's always done best. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, confused, or quietly discouraged because you're trying so hard and still not feeling well, this episode will meet you where you are. No shame. No hype. Just hope, wisdom, and the reminder that your body and your life may be more resilient than you've been led to believe. Get your copy of Beyond Labels here Learn more about Dr. Sina McCullough and all she has to offer here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this unforgettable conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with viral kindness creator Jimmy Darts, author of Undercover Kindness to talk about the stories behind his videos and his book: the grandparents sleeping in their car who stopped to help wrap a gift, the mom who handed over a burrito from her backpack without hesitation, and the quiet power of people who give even when they don't have much. The heart of this episode is simple and surprisingly practical. You don't have to fix anyone. You don't have to be heroic. You just have to notice people. Jimmy shares how generosity shaped him as a child, why five dollars matters more than we think, and how walking, slowing down, and being present opens the door to real connection. It's a conversation about faith, parenting, and choosing an outward posture in a culture that trains us to look away. If you've ever wondered how to raise generous kids or how to soften your own heart again this episode will stay with you. Jimmy on Instagram: @jimmydarts Jimmy on YouTube: @JimmyDarts Undercover Kindness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ginny Yurich sits down with Dr. Kelly Cagle, educational researcher, former teacher, and host of the Parenting IQ Podcast, for a practical, hopeful conversation about what kids actually need to thrive in today's school-and-screen-saturated world. Kelly shares her story of moving from Brazil to the U.S. at age 11, learning English through sheer curiosity (and PBS's Arthur), and being pushed ahead through school, an experience that made her question how quickly we rush children through development. Together, they zoom out to look at what other countries do differently (including Finland's later start and play-based early years), why the American system often rewards compliance over growth, and how that pressure can hit certain kids, especially those with ADHD, extra hard. You'll also get immediately usable ideas for supporting ADHD at school and at home without turning your child into a “problem to manage.” Kelly explains why small accommodations can be game-changing (gum or mints for sensory input, permission to stand or pace, movement breaks, flexible seating), and why partnering with teachers matters more than picking the “perfect” school. The heart of this episode is Kelly's grounded message: real school success starts at home, and “less is more” isn't a vibe, it's a strategy. If you're trying to un-bubble-wrap your kids, rebuild healthy rhythms, and raise children with self-control, perseverance, and a sense of belonging, this conversation will leave you encouraged and equipped. Learn more about Kelly and all she has to offer here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this colorful and joy-filled episode of the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich sits down with gardener, photographer, and author Sandra Mao (@sandraurbangarden) to talk about how a garden can become a feast for the eyes, and an adventure for the whole family. Sandra shares how she grew up gardening alongside her parents and grandmother, and how her own family's garden began with simple container planting during quarantine… then blossomed into half a backyard full of vibrant surprises. Together, Ginny and Sandra explore the magic of colorful vegetables and flowers, from rainbow carrots and radishes to striped peppers, purple cauliflower, “dragon's egg” cucumbers, and even yard-long beans. They also dive into practical, confidence-building tips for beginners: choosing a color palette, finding seed sources, saving seeds, managing pests, and keeping gardening fun (even when things grow wonky!). You'll also hear about Sandra's favorite easy-to-grow flowers like zinnias, marigolds, and calendula, plus how she dries herbs and petals, makes infused oils, and preserves harvests through canning and sun-drying. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by gardening or you're looking for a way to get your kids excited to grow (and actually try vegetables!), this conversation will leave you inspired to plant something vibrant and step outside together. Get your copy of Vibrant Harvest here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adolescence is a training ground for belonging. Rosalind Wiseman (the Queen Bees and Wannabes author whose work inspired Mean Girls) names what adults forget: wanting to be part of a group isn't a character flaw, it's a deep developmental need. And the stakes aren't superficial. The way kids handle loyalty, conflict, embarrassment, betrayal, and speaking up (or staying silent) becomes muscle memory they carry into adulthood. In a world where many kids feel the “middle-class script” they were promised doesn't pay off, that longing to belong can turn into paralysis, resentment, or disengagement—and parents are left wondering when to step in, what to say, and how to be credible again. This conversation gets beautifully practical: how to respond when your child comes home with “the story” (and you weren't there), why forced kindness scripts backfire, and how real social learning happens through messy, unsupervised, multi-age play—especially outside. Wiseman makes a compelling case that overly adult-driven schedules (and even toxic youth sports) can shrink a kid's identity until it collapses under pressure, while neighborhood moments expand it: friend, helper, teammate, kid-who's-known-by-name. You'll leave with language that lowers defenses, strengthens connection, and helps your kids navigate their social world with dignity—plus a reminder that some of the best confidence-building on earth still looks like racing Big Wheels downhill and climbing trees. Learn more about Rosalind and everything she has to offer here Get your copy of Queen Bees and Wannabees here Get your copy of Masterminds and Wingmen here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the deepest friendships aren't built on independence—but on dependence done with dignity? In this unforgettable conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with Kevan Chandler (living with spinal muscular atrophy) and pastor Tommy Shelton to talk about their new book, The Hospitality of Need—and the startling idea that letting people help you can be a form of generosity. Kevan's life is filled with “weirdly clear needs,” and he shares how friends who volunteer to help him each morning don't experience it as a burden, but as a gift: a predictable rhythm of brotherhood, trust, and real presence in a distracted world. Together, they reframe hospitality as more than hosting—it's also showing up to be fed, allowing others to step into purpose, and creating communities where people don't have to pretend they're fine. From the friends who carried Kevan across Europe (and now help other families adventure through We Carry Kevan) to the biblical picture of friends lowering a man through a roof to meet Jesus, this episode will leave listeners asking a brave, practical question: What if my needs could become a doorway to love rather than something to hide? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever looked around your house, your calendar, or your marriage and thought, Why is this so hard for me?—this conversation is for you. In this episode, Ginny Yurich talks with licensed therapist and Struggle Care founder KC Davis about why overwhelm isn't a character flaw, a lack of discipline, or a sign you're doing life wrong. KC names the invisible mental load of daily living—meals, laundry, cleaning, caregiving, relationships—and explains why these repetitive responsibilities were never meant to be proof of your worth. Together, Ginny and KC explore practical, compassionate ways to lower that load without adding shame. From reframing household work as morally neutral, to letting go of “just clean as you go,” to rethinking fairness in marriages and families, this episode offers language and tools that actually help. KC shares gentle strategies for building momentum when you're stuck, wisdom for dividing labor and rest more honestly, and a powerful reminder that community is built through realness and not perfection. This is an episode to save, share, and return to when you need permission to stop measuring your life by impossible standards. Learn more about what KC Davis has to offer including her podcast, courses, training, and more here: https://www.strugglecare.com Get your copy of How to Keep House While Drowning here Get your copy of Who Deserves Your Love? here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trauma therapist and bestselling author Aundi Kolber join us to name the pattern so many of us live in: trying harder when our nervous system is begging for gentleness. Aundi shares the moment a mentor asked her a question that changed everything—Have you ever tried softer?—and why real healing is “thousands of tiny decisions” that slowly move us toward safety, connection, and joy. This conversation is full of hope you can actually use: cues of safety, the power of repair (for us and our kids), and a beautiful practice Aundi calls beauty hunting—learning to notice what restores you, especially outdoors. You'll hear why play matters, how our early stories shape attachment and even our view of God, and why compassion is not weakness. Explore Aundi's work at her site aundikolber.com and find her writing on Substack ⁠aundikolber.substack.com⁠. Get your copy of Try Softer here Get your copy of Strong Like Water here Get your copy of Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most loving thing you could do for your child today is protect their right to play? In this landmark 650th episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich sits down with Heather Shumaker, author of the modern classic It's OK Not to Share, to talk about why childhood no longer feels like childhood and how we can change that. Together, Ginny and Heather paint a compelling vision of kids outside for hours, solving their own conflicts, learning impulse control while they wait for the truck or the swing, and discovering that deep, creative play (and not early academics) is what truly prepares them for life. If you've ever felt the pressure to enroll in one more class, push early reading, force sharing at the park, or make everyone “be friends,” this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. Heather gives you concrete scripts (what to say instead of “be nice,” “share,” or “say you're sorry”), shows why “play fighting” and chase games are often exactly what kids need, and shares the powerful toolbox behind her follow-up book It's OK to Go Up the Slide and her middle-grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary. As we celebrate 650 episodes, Ginny invites you to join the mission: listen in, send this episode to a friend who's worried they're “behind” because their child just wants to play, and leave a podcast rating and review. Your share might be the nudge another parent needs to slow the schedule, protect those long, muddy hours outside, and finally believe: there will always be time for academics, but there won't always be time for play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the life you've worked for—your city, your career, even your identity—dies overnight? In this tender, hope-filled conversation, Ginny sits down with Bible teacher and missionary kid Mikella Van Dyke, whose childhood stretched from refugee camps on the Thai–Myanmar border to hiking the Himalayas and dancing for the princess of Thailand. As a “third culture kid” who never quite fit in either Thailand or the U.S., Mikella shares how a lonely ninth-grade year, culture shock, and years of bouncing between countries left her with a deep identity crisis that eventually drove her into the pages of Scripture. Later, an unplanned pregnancy ended her dream of dancing professionally in New York City—and yet that loss became the doorway to Chasing Sacred, the ministry and new calling she never could have imagined. Learn more about Mikella's story and her new book Chasing Sacred. Together, Ginny and Mikella explore a simple, powerful way to read the Bible through the inductive Bible study method—asking good questions, honoring context, and letting God's Word move from head knowledge to heart change in the middle of real life with kids, frogs, dirt bikes, and dishes. They talk about daily “manna” moments in Scripture, how to spot teaching that's pulled out of context online, why courage sometimes means defying cultural norms, and how family missions trips to Little Lambs International in Guatemala have given their children a bigger vision for God's world. If you've ever felt like your dreams died with motherhood—or you're longing for an anchor in the chaos—this episode will invite you to see your own story, and your hours outside, as sacred ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this riveting conversation, West Point graduate, Iraq veteran, and pediatric chiropractor Dr. Stanton Hom shares how he went from a “clean bill of health” on paper to a body and nervous system in crisis and how surfing, sunlight, grounding, and neurologically focused chiropractic care completely reset his life. He and Ginny dig into why over half of kids now have at least one chronic illness, how belief systems about genes and medicine quietly shape our parenting, and why so many teens say they “feel old” long before adulthood. They also talk about birth culture, homebirth vs. hospital norms, the pressure around pediatric visits and heel-prick tests, and why it can feel tyrannical when parents are punished for asking questions or wanting slower, more thoughtful care. Dr. Stan paints a hopeful, practical path forward: freedom-focused care that helps families need the system less over time, protects informed consent, and puts the nervous system back at the center. He explains how spinal health, heart rate variability, and movement (including unstructured play and time in nature) act as powerful epigenetic inputs that can change the trajectory of a child's health and even a family tree. If you've ever felt uneasy about “standard of care,” or wondered why your outdoor kids seem to skip so many of today's common problems, this episode will give you language, courage, and a roadmap. Learn more about Dr. Stanton Hom and Future Generations Chiropractic at futuregenerationssd.com Explore his Future Generations Podcast and Future Foundations course at thefuturegen.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*FREE DOWNLOAD* - Birth Locations Pros and Cons Sign up for Beth's newsletter here Birth used to be surrounded by aunties, sisters, grandmothers, and the kind of generational wisdom that quietly steadied women through one of life's most transformative experiences. Today, many of us enter motherhood with “no idea”—no idea what our options are, what our bodies can do, or how deeply birth shapes not only our babies but us as well. In this incredibly personal conversation, Ginny sits down with her dear friend and longtime midwife Beth Barbeau for Beth's 8th appearance on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast. For the first time, Ginny walks through the early chapters of her own birth story from planning an elective C-section, to being “disqualified” from a birth center, to navigating confusing hospital interventions and how a single gracious sentence from a friend changed everything. Together, they explore why modern maternity care leaves so many women scared and uninformed, what we've lost as a culture when birth moved out of community spaces, and how reclaiming knowledge can shift an entire motherhood journey. This episode offers hope, validation, and a path back to confidence for any woman who has ever felt swept along rather than supported. Learn more about Beth and all she has to offer here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this tender, hope-filled conversation, Ginny sits down with father, farmer, author, and Grammy-winning songwriter Rory Feek to trace the surprising path from growing up in poverty in Kansas to writing hit songs in Nashville, building a 150-year-old farmhouse life at Hardison Mill, and hosting The Homestead Festival on his Tennessee farm. Rory shares how the “big breaks” in his story actually came from tiny, hidden moments: a stranger insisting he read Rick Bragg's All Over but the Shoutin', a small charity concert that quietly opened the door to a TV show and film, and a simple hymns album recorded quickly and cheaply that went on to win a Grammy and comfort countless grieving hearts. Along the way he talks about Joey, about loss and love, and about how books like This Life I Live and Once Upon a Farm grew out of his own search to understand what God was doing through hardship, homesteading, and ordinary days. If you need a reminder that your simple, unseen faithfulness matters, this episode will meet you right where you are. Rory and Ginny also step straight into the questions parents are asking right now: What do we do with AI, screens, and an attention-starved world and how do we give our kids a rich “curriculum of life” instead? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Whitmel Earley once believed he could outwork sleep, outrun stress, and think his way out of anxiety until his body forced him to face the truth. In this powerful return to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Justin shares how a sudden collapse into panic, insomnia, and intrusive thoughts exposed the danger of living as if we are machines instead of human beings with God-given limits. Together, Justin and Ginny unpack the core message of his newest book, The Body Teaches the Soul—that many of our deepest struggles aren't solved by trying harder, but by relearning how to live inside the design of our bodies through breath, rest, rhythm, and habit. From box breathing and breath prayers to Sabbath, sleep, and the quiet power of daily “trellis habits,” this conversation brings theology down into the lungs, the nervous system, the dinner table, and the bedtime routine. You'll hear how limits are not a punishment but a gift and how ignoring them quietly erodes our peace, our families, and our faith. This episode is for anyone who feels stretched thin, chronically tired, or quietly anxious as well as for parents trying to pass something better to their children. Check out Justin's podcast here: https://www.intentionalfatherhood.org Get your copy of The Body Teaches the Soul here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our attention is quietly falling apart and it's changing who we are as parents, partners, and people. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Marc Berman, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and a pioneer in environmental neuroscience, explains why our “directed attention” is at a breaking point in the age of constant pings, dings, and screens. Drawing from his groundbreaking research and his new book, Nature and the Mind, Dr. Berman gives us language we can use to understand why we're so depleted and why a walk outside can feel like someone quietly handing us our life back. This episode weaves together childhood memories under Michigan spruce trees, the birth of a new field (environmental neuroscience), and the sobering reality that our ability to focus may be one of the most important moral and relational issues of our time. But this episode isn't just a diagnosis. It's also a deeply hopeful prescription. Dr. Berman unpacks the “50-minute miracle,” showing how a simple walk in a park can boost attention and memory by around 20%, rivaling more invasive interventions and even helping people with depression and ADHD think more clearly and act with more self-control. You'll hear why kids often melt down after school (their tanks are empty), how nature time after school pickup can restore their capacity for homework and kindness, and how design choices like trees on your street, plants in the classroom, fractal patterns and natural light in your home offer “micro-doses” of restoration throughout the day. From grief and rumination to screen time, executive function, and school policy, this episode is a roadmap for parents who sense that something is off and are ready to rebuild our children's attention and joy through simple, consistent time in nature. Get your copy of Nature and the Mind here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world of shifting sands, where kids are nudged toward algorithms, apps, and endless activities, S. D. Smith returns to the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast to talk about giving our children something sturdier to stand on. Ginny and Sam share stories of real-life hospitality, hikes in West Virginia, rainbows over the New River Gorge, and the way shared adventures and shared stories bind families together. From the Green Ember universe to his newest book Helmer and the Dragon Tomb, Sam describes his mission to offer “new stories with an old soul” that root kids in courage, virtue, and hope—stories that still matter fifty years after we're gone. Together they wrestle with the pressure modern parents feel: rising anxiety about the future, the lure of AI shortcuts, and the constant competition for our kids' attention. Sam and Ginny make a compelling case that reading and writing are not outdated school tasks, but deeply human practices that shape a child's inner world, imagination, and even their sense of calling. You'll hear practical ideas for “tricksy parenting” that makes reading the reward, setting cozy book “traps,” inviting dads into the culture of story, and helping young writers grow in skill instead of outsourcing their creativity to machines. This episode is a gentle but galvanizing invitation to choose books over bots, shared chapters over scrolling, and to give our kids a living connection to something timeless. See everything S.D. Smith has to offer here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where adults avoid risk, children grow up on screens instead of playgrounds, and workplaces drift toward loneliness, Ben Swire argues that what we're really missing is experiential connection. In this conversation with Ginny, Ben—an introvert who once dreaded team-building—shares how “safe danger” transformed both his life and his work. From IDEO's culture of curiosity to biweekly “creative play dates,” he explains why people blossom when they're given space to try, fail, try again, and be seen. Together, Ben and Ginny explore how joy, optimism, vulnerability, and play aren't personality traits but skills that grow only through experience. They talk about the crush of conformity, the epidemic of loneliness, and why pessimism is really fear in disguise. You'll walk away with practical ideas for your home, workplace, or classroom. This is an episode that gently reminds us: people don't just want fun, or comfort, or entertainment. They want to grow. They want to belong. Most of all, they want connection. Get your copy of Safe Danger here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Misty Copeland is one of the most famous ballerinas in the world—the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre and a cultural icon whose influence reaches far beyond the stage. In this inspiring conversation with Ginny Yurich, Misty reflects on her unlikely beginning: a shy, introverted thirteen-year-old living in motels who found her way into a free ballet class on a Boys & Girls Club basketball court. Movement became her lifeline, offering stability, confidence, and a sense of belonging she had never known. Misty reveals how discovering ballet “late” became her superpower and how exposure, encouragement, and one adult who says try this can alter the entire trajectory of a child's life. Ginny and Misty explore what embodied, hands-on experiences give children in an era dominated by screens including resilience, emotional release, friendship, leadership, and a much bigger sense of what's possible. Misty shares the mission behind her Bunheads series, Firebird, and the Be Bold Foundation, as well as her new Be Bolder program for older adults, each designed to expand access to movement and the arts. This episode is a powerful reminder that childhood doesn't need to be accelerated; it needs to be lived in motion. When we give kids space to move, explore, and follow their curiosity, we're not just filling their time—we're opening entire worlds. Get your copy of Life in Motion here Get your copy of Bunheads, Act 2 here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When pediatric occupational therapist and TimberNook founder Angela Hanscom steps into the woods, she sees what most of us miss: children rebuilding the very systems in their brains that make attention possible. In this deeply hopeful conversation, Angela explains why daily outdoor play isn't just “good for kids”—it's biologically essential. From spinning and hanging upside down to tumbling down hills, nature gives children the movement their vestibular system craves, activating the brain's built-in attention network and counteracting the effects of our screen-heavy world. Schools partnering with TimberNook are reporting calmer classrooms, fewer behavior challenges, and even more academic risk-taking as children spend long, unstructured stretches in nature. But this episode goes beyond brain science. Angela and Ginny explore the social, emotional, and leadership skills that develop when adults step back and let the woods take the lead. You'll hear powerful stories of children negotiating conflicts, comforting friends, forming “clans,” navigating risk, and discovering capability without adults micromanaging every move. It's a reminder that the richness of what happens in the woods grows more than attention spans; it grows confidence, resilience, empathy, creativity, and identity. If you need encouragement, inspiration, or simply permission to let go a little, this conversation will shift how you see childhood and how you support it. Get your copy of Balanced and Barefoot here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a culture that trains children to perform their lives instead of live them, Sharon Hodde Miller returns to explore why so many young people feel fragile, insecure, and exhausted and why the solution isn't more confidence, but a bigger purpose. Drawing from Free of Me and her new devotional Gazing at God, Sharon explains the overlooked root of modern insecurity: we've taught kids to evaluate their worth through constant self-focus, endless mirrors, and the metrics of the attention economy. Together, Sharon and Ginny uncover how shrinking our children's purpose down to “finding themselves” has left them anxious, isolated, and unsure of who they are apart from an audience. This conversation offers a hopeful, deeply practical way forward. Sharon shares how hiddenness, beauty, and turning our gaze toward God free us from the heaviness of self-preoccupation and how parents can help kids grow up rooted in something far larger than likes, identity quests, or online performance. From navigating rejection to reimagining purpose, this episode invites families to step out of the spotlight, rediscover joy, and remember that the healthiest life isn't the one constantly seen…but the one securely grounded in love, calling, and connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the biggest predictor of your child becoming a lifelong reader has nothing to do with phonics programs, library incentives, or natural talent and everything to do with protecting space in their day? Cognitive psychologist Dr. Daniel Willingham joins Ginny to reveal the surprising truth about how kids learn, why background knowledge matters more than ever, and why reading aloud long past early childhood gives kids an academic and emotional advantage. With warmth and clarity, Dr. Willingham explains the “fourth grade slump,” the power of expertise, and how AI is reshaping the skills our kids will need most in the future. This episode offers a hopeful and doable path for families who want to reclaim reading in a screen-saturated world. You'll learn why limiting screens is the single most effective way to help kids choose reading for pleasure. Dr. Willingham shares why children don't need perfection, programs, or pressure; they need a home where learning is valued, distractions are dialed down, and reading is woven into the family rhythm. Encouraging, practical, and deeply grounding, this conversation shows that every parent can raise a reader starting today. Have fun. Start now. Get your copy of Why Don't Students Like School here Get your copy of Outsmart Your Brain here Get your copy of Raising Kids Who Read here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Childhood isn't a race, and in this hopeful conversation, Ginny Yurich and Cosmo Technologies founder Russell York remind us why slowing the pace is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our kids. Together they explore how delaying smartphones protects a child's attention, imagination, and sense of self at a time when technology is accelerating faster than childhood can keep up. Russell shares the research, the stories, and the practical realities behind giving kids connection without overwhelm—and why a simple smartwatch can open the door to real-world confidence, outdoor play, and independent moments that kids absolutely need in order to thrive. This episode paints a picture of what growing up well can still look like: kids roaming the neighborhood, meeting friends at the park, reading at the library, learning to trust themselves, and coming home filled up instead of drained. Ginny and Russell talk about shifting from fear to trust, restoring a child's natural rhythm, and giving parents tools that strengthen—not replace—the bond between parent and child. With real clarity and encouragement, they show how small choices can make a big difference, and how giving kids the gift of growing up slowly leads to calmer homes, stronger families, and a childhood full of wonder instead of hurry. They also discuss the brand new partnership between their organizations and the launch of the Cosmo x 1000 Hours Outside Adventure Bundle, ⁠available here!⁠ This is a limited-edition offer designed for families like ours who value connection, freedom, and real-world adventure. With the bundle you'll get: ✅ FREE JrTrack 5 Kids Smartwatch ✅ FREE custom 1000 Hours Outside wrist band ✅ FREE extra teal wrist band ✅ 1000 Hours Outside logo sticker ✅ 3 months of Cosmo Membership FREE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this tender and hope-filled conversation, Ginny sits down with beloved children's author Sally Lloyd-Jones, whose Jesus Storybook Bible has shaped the spiritual childhood of millions of kids (including the Yurichs'!). Sally shares her remarkable backstory - being born in Uganda, growing up in East and West Africa, going to boarding school at age eight, and how God used both beauty and early wounds to form her as a writer. She and Ginny talk about her brand-new book Jesus, Our True Friend: Stories to Fill Your Heart with Joy, and what it means to write children's stories that are playful, deeply theological, and never “dumbed down.” Along the way, Sally explains the heart behind unforgettable phrases like “extra super holy people,” why Jesus' first miracle at a wedding is all about restoring joy, and how good children's books quietly preach hope without ever becoming preachy. The conversation also turns deeply personal as Ginny shares the painful story of her family being kicked out of their church after raising concerns about a youth pastor who was later arrested on multiple felony charges. Together, she and Sally reflect on spiritual abuse, disillusionment with “extra super holy” leaders, and the miracle of God still meeting children directly in the middle of heartbreak. Ginny tells how her youngest daughter found comfort and theological clarity in the Joseph story from the Jesus Storybook Bible, using Sally's words to interpret her own church trauma and see God's redemption at work. From bullied kids to exhausted “Martha” moms, from online mobs to stone-throwers in Scripture, this episode is a balm for anyone who needs to remember that Jesus is a true friend who loves us before we ever “get it right", with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love. Get your copy of Jesus, Our True Friend: Stories to Fill Your Heart with Joy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this wide-ranging and eye-opening conversation, Ginny sits down with Debra Williams, a health and wellness advocate, mom, and creator of Mind Body Blend “healthy advocacy” apparel. Debra shares her journey from working in a children's hospital wellness center to questioning why true preventative care like nutrition, toxins, time outside, and lifestyle, rarely shows up in mainstream medical conversations. She and Ginny talk candidly about asking hard questions around childhood health, their own experiences with vaccine injury, and what it means to make genuinely informed decisions in a system that often discourages dissent and critical thinking. From there, the conversation widens to the larger forces shaping childhood today: the normalization of AI and GPS that quietly erode our memory and attention, the peer pressure around smartphones and social media, and the way online culture is collapsing “middle childhood” into grown-up beauty standards and consumerism. Debra shares how her family is choosing a more low-tech, play-filled path, including starting local low-tech and holistic parenting groups, moving toward homeschooling, and helping her 10-year-old daughter stay a kid a little longer, still riding bikes, playing with stuffed animals, and creating instead of scrolling. If you've ever felt uneasy about screens, school, or the speed at which childhood seems to be disappearing, this episode will leave you both challenged and deeply encouraged to build real-life community and protect a simpler, more human way of growing up. Learn more about Debra at www.mindbodyblend.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever felt like the “strong one” who secretly wishes someone would notice how tired you are, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Ginny sits down with author, speaker, and “Still Coloring” podcast host Toni Collier to talk about her new book, Don't Try This Alone: How to Build Deep Community When You Want to Hide From Your Pain. Toni shares her story of walking through two divorces, betrayal, and deep heartbreak, and the radical difference it made when she finally had a circle of people who knew the whole story. Together, Ginny and Toni unpack the idea of a “confessional community,” what it means to be truly seen instead of just “busy and surrounded,” and why it may not be the pain that takes us out, but trying to carry it by ourselves. This conversation is packed with practical, courageous steps for building real friendships in adulthood and helping our kids do the same. Toni talks about the bravery it takes to say, “Do you want to be my friend?” again, how to move beyond surface-level small talk, and why even simple moments, chatting with another parent at the park, asking your server how you can pray for them can change lives. You'll hear tender stories of friends who showed up in tangible, unforgettable ways, how to help kids experience healthy community earlier than we did, and why broken crayons still color. If you're lonely, exhausted, or longing for your people, this episode will remind you: you were never meant to do this life alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Joshua Becker looked up from a garage packed with stuff and saw his five-year-old swinging alone in the backyard, everything changed. In this lively, hopeful conversation, Joshua joins Ginny to share how one offhand comment from a neighbor launched his journey into minimalism, and eventually his global platform, Becoming Minimalist. They talk about how our possessions don't just fail to make us happy; they actually pull us away from the very things that do bring us joy: time with our kids, meaningful work, time outside, community, and faith. Joshua shares his favorite “29-day experiments,” from hand-washing dishes to owning just 33 items of clothing, and shows how small, playful trials can reset our habits and free up time, money, and energy for what matters most. Ginny and Joshua also dig into the deeper forces shaping our cluttered lives: targeted advertising, influencer culture, generational fears about security, and the endless, shifting dollar amount we think will finally make us “safe.” They explore why retirement as pure leisure doesn't show up in Scripture, why relationships are a better safety net than underground bunkers and overstuffed basements, and how comparison so often focuses on cars and clothes instead of character and generosity. Joshua shares about his nonprofit, The Hope Effect, which helps children move from institutional orphanages into families, and offers a sneak peek at his upcoming book Uncluttered Faith. The episode wraps with a sweet childhood memory of backyard wiffle ball, and an invitation to all of us to experiment with owning less so we can live, love, and play more, especially outdoors. Get your copy of The More Of Less Preorder your copy of Uncluttered Faith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this life-giving conversation, Max Lucado joins Ginny Yurich to talk about something every overwhelmed parent and anxious teen quietly craves: a way out of “stinking thinking.” Drawing from his new book Tame Your Thoughts, Max shares how a 20-year-old “converted drunk” became a pastor, bestselling author, and grandfather who now spends his days helping people rewrite the ruts in their minds. Together, he and Ginny dig into the reality that we think around 70,000 thoughts a day. About 80% of those thoughts tend to be negative yet both Scripture and neuroscience insist we are not stuck. Our brains are changeable, our patterns can be retrained, and joy is not a personality trait you either have or don't. It's a learnable, repeatable skill. For families trying to raise kids in a world of social media, materialism, and nonstop mental noise, Max offers concrete tools: “picky thinking,” uprooting lies and replanting Scripture, anchoring kids' hearts with simple practices, and getting outside to actually look at the birds and lilies Jesus talked about. Through vivid stories Max shows how God can use even disaster as the start of a better story. If you're weary from worry, buried under guilt, or watching your child struggle with anxiety, this episode will help you tame your thoughts, plant tiny daily “seeds” of truth, and discover that joy really is a skill you and your children can practice for a lifetime. Get your copy of Tame Your Thoughts here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dustin and Melissa Nickerson are hilarious and surprisingly profound about what it takes to stay married in this day and age. In this episode, they tell the story of getting married as teenagers, building a “big family small business,” and learning that no one hands you a rule book for a one-of-a-kind marriage. Dustin shares why most marriage advice fails when it turns into a formula, and why the real work is becoming a student of your person. Melissa adds some truths about midlife: the sandwich-generation pressure, kids launching, parents aging, and the blessing of a partner you can still laugh with when the stakes get high. Play, movement, and games show up as marriage glue. From backyard volleyball to made-up family games to their confession that hiking beats fancy date nights every time, they show what it looks like to stop performing “good marriage habits” and start doing what actually works for you. It's tender, it's funny, and it's the kind of episode that makes you want to grab your spouse, get outside, and remember you're on the same team. Check out Dustin's book How to Be Married (to Melissa) their podcast Don't Make Me Come Back There and Dustin's stand-up tour dates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this unforgettable conversation, NewsNation anchor and instant New York Times bestselling author Leland “Lucky” Vittert pulls back the curtain on a childhood that included late speech, crushing loneliness, and a school world that often met neurodivergence with cruelty instead of care. But Born Lucky isn't an autism “how-to.” It's a father-son love story about what changes when one adult refuses to give up. Lucky shares how his dad chose a radical path: not removing adversity, but walking him through it—teaching character, work ethic, and the kind of social “tools” that slowly turn isolation into connection. The result is deep hope and a reminder that kids aren't doomed by their hardest circumstances. Ginny and Lucky also dig into the practical magic of a hands-on childhood: flying lessons at eight, rowing, scuba diving, Michigan summers by Lake Michigan that all provided real risks, real effort, real confidence earned. Those experiences didn't just fill time; they built transferable skills and a resilience that later carried Lucky through war-zone reporting and prime-time journalism. Along the way, you'll hear about the quiet heroes like Mr. Mick whose belief became a lifeline. If you've ever worried your child won't find their place or wondered if you're doing enough this episode will steady you, strengthen you, and send you back outside with fresh courage. Now through December 1st get your copy of Born Lucky for 25% off HERE Watch Lucky's show On Balance with Leland Vittert on NewsNation (weeknights at 9 p.m. ET) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays promise magic but deliver a lengthy to-do list the length as well. In this conversation, cognitive psychotherapist and TODAY Show contributor Niro Feliciano helps us name the real culprit behind our December depletion: comparison culture, commercial pressure, and the quiet belief that we're failing if we're not doing everything. Drawing from her 31-day guide All Is Calmish, Niro gives a therapist-in-your-pocket reset for the season. She guides listeners through micro-moments of wellness that actually work when life is full: morning light, a sleep goal, short walks, friendship as medicine, and breathing tools so practical even Navy SEALs use them. But this episode goes deeper than hacks. It's about reclaiming joy from the performance of joy. Niro walks us through future-saving ways to handle family drama, why gifts can be a love-language landmine, and how simple strategies like shared wish lists and experience gifts restore connection. She speaks tenderly to the grieving, offering permission to do holidays differently, and reminds us that what kids remember isn't the haul—it's the presence. The kind that grows when screens go away, expectations loosen, and we choose the sledding hill over the spotless kitchen. This is the episode for anyone who wants a calmer holiday and a better life the other eleven months, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us are living with an internal compass we never learned to read. In this riveting conversation, bestselling author Robert Glazer reveals why so many capable, well-intentioned adults feel misaligned, exhausted, or confused. It is because they are making the biggest decisions of life (work, partnership, community) without ever naming the values that drive them. Robert explains why only 1–2% of people can clearly articulate their core values, how misalignment shows up as that “electric fence” jolt we all recognize, and why understanding your values can save decades of frustration. Through stories, research, parenting insights, and practical tools, Robert opens a path toward clarity that is both freeing and transformative. Together, Ginny and Robert explore how core values shape everything. You'll learn how to identify your own values, how to help your children build theirs, and how to make decisions that align with who you truly are. If you've ever wondered why certain environments drain you, why certain relationships feel “off,” or why emotional resilience seems harder than it should be, this episode offers a lens that will change how you see your life. Start your values work today with the links below. Links & Resources The Compass Within + free Core Values Course (with preorder): https://compass-within.com Free six-question guide: https://robertglazer.com/six Core Values Course: https://corevaluescourse.com Friday Forward newsletter: https://fridayforward.com Robert's bestselling book Elevate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her second visit to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, bestselling author and mama of ten Abbie Halberstadt (M Is for Mama, Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad, You Bet Your Stretch Marks) sits down with Ginny to lovingly but firmly push back against a culture that treats children as an interruption instead of a reward. Abbie shares what it was like to have 10 children in 14 years—including two sets of twins—while watching a world where nearly half of young adults now say they're unlikely to ever have kids. Together, Ginny and Abbie explore why our obsession with control, comfort, and “having it all” is leaving so many women anxious, lonely, and afraid of the very thing that would grow them: motherhood. They talk candidly about stretch marks on bodies and souls, the lie that we must “wait five years” for a reward Scripture calls good, and how God often meets us with daily bread right after we step out in faith. This conversation is packed with stories that will stay with you: banjos and baptisms, European travel with ten kids, postpartum rage turned into a “gentleness challenge,” and miracle-level provision that arrives just in time. If you're a tired mom, a young woman wondering about children, or a parent raising daughters in an seemingly child-averse age, this episode will help you see your body, your story, and your kids as eternal investments, not liabilities. Learn more from Abbie and her full trilogy here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the behavior problems you're seeing in your child are really exhaustion from a tiny jaw and a blocked airway? In this eye-opening conversation, host Ginny Yurich welcomes back one of her all-time favorite guests, airway-focused dentist Dr. Kalli Halle, to explain why so many kids are snoring, teeth grinding, bedwetting, and struggling with anxiety, ADHD- and ODD-like symptoms because they can't breathe well and they sleep properly. Drawing on thousands of cases, Dr. Halle shows how mouth breathing, dark circles, restless sleep, and even “annoying” chewing habits are red flags for sleep-disordered breathing. Together, Ginny and Dr. Halle reframe orthodontics from a cosmetic extra to a critical, whole-body intervention that can change a child's health, learning, and mood for life. You'll also hear about Tooth Pillow, the innovative, mostly-nighttime appliance and virtual myofunctional therapy platform that's making early, airway-focused care accessible to families everywhere. Listeners can learn more and get started at toothpillow.com—and there's a special 1000 Hours Outside listener deal: through November 27, 2025, use code 1000 Hours in the “Who can we thank for referring you?” field to receive a free Tooth Pillow consultation (a $50 value) plus $250 off your treatment. After that date, the same code still gives you $25 off the consultation and $100 off treatment. If your child snores, grinds their teeth, wets the bed, battles anxiety, or can't focus (or if you're an exhausted adult wondering about sleep apnea) this may be the episode that finally connects the dots. Listen, share it with a friend who needs hope, and make sure you're subscribed to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast so you don't miss what might be the most life-changing information your family hears this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beloved author and illustrator Sharon Lovejoy returns for her third appearance on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, and this conversation feels like stepping into the kind of childhood we all hope to create. Sharon and Ginny explore why the garden remains one of the most powerful places to raise a child and a parent. From babies whose tiny hands brush over mint leaves to 96-year-olds planting their very first sunflower house, Sharon shows that it is never too late to begin. Her timeless books like Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, Camp Granny, Sunflower Houses have introduced generations to the simple miracles of seeds, soil, and slowing down. This episode is a reminder that you don't need expertise or acres of land; you just need a pot or two and some seeds to nurture. Together, Sharon and Ginny share some reasons gardening changes families: it pulls children away from screens, fills them with curiosity, and gives them a world of textures, tastes, and small adventures—zinnias buzzing with life, lamb's ear soft as felt, corn that comes in stunning colors, birdhouse gourds that become toys, and tiny discoveries waiting under every leaf. Sharon explains how a garden becomes a child's first classroom, a parent's pause button, and a generational legacy that ripples outward—just as her own grandmother's influence shaped thousands of families around the world. If you've ever wished for a slower, richer, more connected childhood for your kids or for yourself this conversation will give you the courage, inspiration, and practical starting points to begin today. Explore more: Sharon Lovejoy's books: https://sharonlovejoy.comRoots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: https://amzn.to/43GtvOa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motherhood often feels like a season of losing yourself, but what if it's actually the most profound season of becoming? In this heart-deep conversation, Ginny welcomes back one of the podcast's most beloved guests, Leah Boden, for her third appearance. Together they explore what Charlotte Mason called the “mind gallery”—the inner storehouse of beauty, story, memory, art, and truth that sustains us through every season of life. Leah shares how the threads of our identity don't disappear during the exhausting years of raising little ones; they simply lie dormant, waiting for the right time to bloom. Through her own journey—from homeschooling mother to author of living biographies on C.S. Lewis, Charlotte Mason, and Princess Ina—Leah offers a hopeful reminder that the passions you once loved are still there, ready to reemerge as gifts to both you and your children. This episode is a gentle call to build a home rich with sensory experiences, stories, poetry, music, and nature, elements that shape not only a child's education but their entire inner life. Leah and Ginny discuss how reading biographies breathes humanity into history, how nature observation strengthens a child's understanding of literature, and how beauty quietly grounds us during seasons of change. They unpack the remarkable story of Princess Aina, showing how courage, displacement, and hope weave together to form a life filled with meaning. Whether you're in the trenches or looking toward the second half of life, this conversation will help you rediscover wonder, reclaim your own mind gallery, and create a feast of learning that nourishes your whole family. Get your copy of Brave Princess Aina here Join The Mind Gallery here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When our kids step into the digital world, most of us feel like we're handing them car keys without ever having learned to drive ourselves. In this episode, Danish parenting expert and author Jessica Joelle Alexander returns to share the tool she created when her own daughter started asking for a phone: Raising Digital Citizens conversation cards. Drawing on Denmark's world-leading approach to happiness, character education, and digital well-being, Jessica shows how “digital independence” can become part of their modern rite of passage. Through simple, powerful questions, families learn to talk about safety, scams, manipulation, and trusted adults before a crisis hits, so kids already know what to do and who to go to when something goes wrong. Ginny and Jessica walk through real scenarios kids face every day: a bathroom photo being shared around school, “harmless” pranks that go too far, gaming scams and virtual goods, misunderstood texts and emojis, mean comments, and the pressure to be “always on” with friends. This is a hopeful, practical roadmap for raising kids who are kind, thoughtful, and safe in both the online and real worlds. Explore the cards at raisingdigitalcitizens.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing the Hard Things on Purpose brings former NFL fullback Heath Evans and weight-loss hero Chrissy Evans into a raw and hope-filled conversation about discipline, surrender, and the kind of transformation that lasts. Together with Ginny, they walk through the rock-bottom moments that reshaped their lives—false accusations, public collapse, a weight-loss surgery that didn't work, and years of numbing habits that couldn't quiet the deeper ache. Instead of breaking them, those seasons awakened them. Heath and Chrissy share how choosing the harder path—true discipline, uncomfortable honesty, spiritual grounding, whole-food nourishment, and meaningful daily habits—became the doorway to health, joy, and peace they had never experienced before. Now raising six children—including a sibling group of four adopted out of the foster system—they talk candidly about fear, faith, and why real growth can't come from shortcuts or comfort. In a culture that profits from keeping people overwhelmed, medicated, and afraid, Heath and Chrissy model a different way: building strong families by facing hard things head-on, grounding kids in truth, prioritizing time outside, and trusting God with every unknown. This conversation is bold, uplifting, and deeply human—a reminder that the good life isn't the easy life, but the intentional one. Links: Built Ready Coaching: https://builtready.com Visera Nutrition: https://viceranutrition.com Bethesda Ranch: https://chancetohelp.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most countercultural thing you could do right now was say yes to family? In this deeply affirming conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with Sarah Gabel Seifert, co-founder and president of EveryLife, to explore why children are gifts and how slowing down to raise them can become the most life-giving self-care of all. Sarah and Ginny invite listeners to rethink modern scripts about career, timing, and what truly satisfies. Sarah shares the origin story of EveryLife built to align purchasing with values and to tangibly serve moms in need (including millions of diapers donated). She also unveils the brand's new women's line which is created to be clean, transparent, and unapologetically for women. Offer: Save 10% on your first order at EveryLife.com - use code 1000HOURS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When bestselling author and IF:Gathering founder Jennie Allen sits down with Ginny, they go straight at the question nearly everyone's asking but few will admit out loud: How do I make friends—real ones—right now? Jennie unpacks why today's parents are living through a “fast loneliness” era how mixed-age friendships grow resilient kids, and why neediness isn't a flaw but instead, it's the doorway to community. From her Find Your People research to simple rules like “five friends within five miles,” Jennie offers repeatable steps that work: initiate even when it's awkward, gather around a fire when you can, and stop waiting to be chosen. We talk about conflict and why you can't build depth without it) the mental-health crisis for kids and adults, and how shared purpose, outdoor time, and everyday togetherness (walks, Costco runs, carpool rides) builds strong bonds. If you've ever thought, I'm too busy, too late, too new in town, this conversation hands you a plan you can use tonight. Tap in, take notes, and then text someone to come over. Friends are made, not found. Links: Jennie Allen — Find Your People Jennie Allen — Get Out of Your Head (for grown-ups): Jennie Allen — What to Do with Your Whirly-Swirly Thoughts (for kids): IF:Gathering: https://www.ifgathering.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When pediatric OT Adele Hopper and early childhood educator Jess Warner stepped outside the clinic and classroom, everything changed—regulation improved, anxiety eased, and play exploded into real learning. In this powerful, hope-filled conversation from Australia, we trace children's journeys from cautious observers to joyful risk-takers, and the way true, child-led play builds executive function, social courage, and deep confidence. You'll hear how TimberNook's long, unhurried blocks of outdoor time create what school and screens can't: mixed-age “neighborhood play,” sibling bonding, and communities where grandparents pull up a chair and stay. Parents report calmer evenings and better sleep; facilitators witness science, literacy, and problem-solving emerge organically—no adult-made toys required. Adele and Jess also open the door for parents itching to bring this to their towns: how they found land, partnered with Scouts, and let nature (plus a few loose parts) do the heavy lifting. If you've felt that tug to start something, this episode is your green light—and a reminder that childhood thrives when it's ungoverned by four walls. Listen in, share it with a friend, and then take the first step outside. Learn more about TimerNook here Learn more about Mother Earthed here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we protect the pace of childhood, everyone in the family heals. In this illuminating conversation, Dr. Natasha Beck—also known as Dr. Organic Mommy—shares how slowing down, simplifying, and removing hidden toxins from our homes can transform not just our kids' health, but our own. Diagnosed as a child with ADHD and dyslexia, Dr. Beck eventually uncovered how diet, environment, and overstimulation were shaping her well-being. Now a pediatric neuropsychologist, she helps families create calmer, more connected lives through practical changes—like her two-week “fragrance-free” challenge that has surprised even the most skeptical parents. (Follow her work on Instagram, Substack, and her podcast When Millennials Become Moms.) From food choices and slow tech habits to the Waldorf philosophy and her “Three S's” framework—sleep, sugar, and screens—Dr. Beck and Ginny Yurich explore how a developmentally appropriate childhood actually restores balance for parents too. This episode is both practical and freeing, showing that you don't need to overhaul your life overnight. One slow evening, one home-cooked meal, one outdoor day at a time—those small shifts might be the self-care your whole family has been missing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erin Loechner is back for her third visit with a deeply freeing message for parents: you can step off the conveyor belt and still raise kids who thrive. From TV sets and Disney stages to off-grid cabins and a garden full of slow surprises, Erin has lived a dozen lives—and let many of them go. She and Ginny explore how seasons change slowly, why “success” can be lovingly rejiggered, and how refusing the race no longer meant for you is often the bravest step forward. If you've ever wondered whether opting out will leave you behind, this conversation says the quiet part out loud: it won't. It will bring you home. Then they get wonderfully practical. Erin shows how to flip Big Tech's playbook for the good of your family—bringing surprise, challenge, streaks, and shared goals back offline. Think a jelly bean in a coat pocket to reward real-world habits, a “treasure chest” microwave with small delights, fridge trackers instead of app streaks, midnight sundaes, silly-string welcomes, and family projects that build interdependence (yes, decks and ponds count). Along the way, they celebrate the outdoors as the world's best noise-absorber and soul-reset. This episode is a permission slip to slow down, opt out, and choose a life your kids will actually want to inherit. Get your copy of Chasing Slow here Get your copy of The Opt-Out Family here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices