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.

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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.

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What does it really take to raise strong, confident, and grounded kids in today’s digital world? In this deeply affirming and practical conversation, New York Times bestselling author and family therapist Michael Gurian joins Ginny Yurich to share timeless wisdom backed by neuroscience and 35 years of experience. Gurian explains why children—especially boys—are struggling more than ever, and how the breakdown of extended family and community support leaves them seeking belonging in the artificial world of screens and social media. He introduces his transformative “three family” model and reveals why real work, real play, and real mentorship are the foundation of resilience.

This episode offers a blueprint for parents who want to raise children who can handle life’s challenges with strength and purpose. Learn how to rebuild community around your kids, why two hours of physical activity a day matters, how to use chores as “sacred work,” and why screen limits aren’t punishment—they’re protection. It’s an episode filled with compassion, clarity, and hope—reminding every parent that resilience grows best in the real world, surrounded by love, purpose, and connection.

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In this conversation, Andy Felton invites us to see our bodies as organic gardens—living ecosystems that flourish or falter based on what we plant in them. He makes a clear, compassionate case that our modern, convenience-first food culture has left many of us undernourished and overwhelmed, not because we lack willpower but because we’ve been trained to outsource the most human act we do: cooking. With a steady, nonjudgmental tone, Andy explains how ultra-processed foods and chemical shortcuts confuse our biology, while simple, authentic ingredients restore it. He shares the liberating idea that you don’t have to be perfect: start where you are, aim for an 80/20 approach, and remember that every bite is information your cells can use to move you toward strength, clarity, and calm.

Then he turns our gaze backward to move forward—toward traditions like sprouting, fermenting, milling, and making real bread; toward seasonal produce and meeting the growers who nurture it; toward meals that are cooked with hands and shared with people. Without preaching, Andy weaves in a vision of health as “strength for life,” not an end in itself: energy to play with your kids, to serve your community, to live your values. If you’ve felt unprepared to navigate a broken food culture, this episode offers a hopeful path home—one skillet, one simple recipe, one small habit at a time.

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Stories are how our brains make sense of the world—and in this conversation, Ginny sits down with friend and master storyteller Paul Hastings (host of Compelled) to explore why narrative cuts through noise and sticks.

From his Thai–Ozark family roots to thousands of hours crafting immersive, sound-rich episodes, Paul explains the simple science of attention (“your brain wakes up when a story begins”), the power of silence, and how true, well-edited stories help us carry big ideas without a lecture. It’s a generous, behind-the-scenes look at how meaningful narratives are made—and why they move us.

You’ll hear practical takeaways for home, work, and community: how to invite stories out of your kids, how to hold space when the hard parts surface, and how to turn lived experience into hope for someone else.

Learn more about Paul and all he has to offer here: CompelledPodcast.com

Get the Compelled book here: https://compelledpodcast.com/book

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In his fifth (and most urgent) visit, executive function specialist Mike McLeod says the quiet part out loud: today’s youth mental-health crisis is not a child problem—it’s an adult-built environment. He previews his forthcoming Executive Function Playbook and companion workbook, laying out why executive functions—not grades, apps, or endless “emotional curriculum”—are the strongest predictors of real-world success. McLeod argues that outsourcing growth to talk therapy and ed-tech hasn’t moved the needle for most kids; what does is parent training, clear boundaries, and steady structure. He names the two fastest dopamine loops—screens and conflict—and shows parents how to unplug both with calm, authoritative leadership.

This is a call to action, not a scold. McLeod and Ginny sketch a practical after-school blueprint: more unstructured outdoor play, peer time, reading, chores, and real hobbies, less algorithmic drift. If we stole play and boredom, we can return them—and with them, resilience, initiative, and joy. The message is bracing but hopeful: parents created this world, and parents can flip it.

Preorder Mike's Executive Function Playbook here

Preorder Mike's Executive Function Playbook in action here

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Glen Henry went from avoiding fatherhood to embracing it with radical presence, creativity, and faith—and he tells the whole story here. From hip-hop tours to a 24-foot RV with four kids and a tornado warning, Glen shares how “fathering yourself first” rewires your inner voice and spills into patient, playful leadership at home. We talk rough-and-tumble play that teaches limits, saying yes to your kids’ invitations before they stop asking, and reframing fear with better questions—what if everything goes right?

Explore more of Glen’s world through his Beleaf in Fatherhood YouTube channel, his marriage show with Yvette, How Married Are You, and his new book, Father Yourself First.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a home where kids feel they belong and where dads show up with joy this conversation is a blueprint. Glen’s candid stories (the blanket warrior game, the poop-hunt, and the five-mile desert hike that forged grit) meet practical tools for margin, adventure, and Sabbath-like rest. Listen now on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast and share it with a dad who needs a nudge to step onto the most important stage he’ll ever stand on—right there in the living room. And if you’re new to the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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When employers say “26 is the new 18,” what they’re really noticing is Tim Elmore’s Peter Pan paradox in action: the age of authority is dropping while the age of maturity is rising. In this energizing conversation, Tim and Ginny decode Gen Z’s “magic and tragic”—their native fluency with tech and AI alongside lagging people skills—and offer hopeful, practical ways to coach rather than complain. You’ll hear why childlikeness is fading while childishness expands, how social media turned from connection to performance, and why soft skills (read: people skills) will be the ultimate edge in the AI age. Listen for simple, family-ready reps—hosting adults, letting kids own their schedules, building EQ—and workplace plays like great first days, hobby-like projects, and leading with empathy.

We also get real about the gig economy, shrinking loyalty ladders, and why teens need margin, movement, mindfulness, and management to protect mental health and grow grit. You’ll leave with language that reframes Gen Z from “problem” to “potential,” and with concrete steps for parents, teachers, and team leaders to build self-awareness, social awareness, and emotional regulation in everyday life. Leaders are dealers of hope—start here, share this episode with a friend who’s wrestling with Gen Z, and model the future you want your kids to inherit.

Get your copy of The Future Begins with Z here

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In this powerful and timely conversation, 1000 Hours Outside founder Ginny Yurich sits down with Russell York, CEO of Cosmo, a leading kids smartwatch company, to explore one of the most pressing issues of modern childhood: the loss of unstructured play and freedom.

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

During the episode, Russell and Ginny unpack how our culture’s shift toward constant supervision, fear, and screens has reshaped childhood, and how technology, when designed with intention, can actually help restore kids’ independence.

Russell shares how Cosmo’s innovative smartwatch gives families the best of both worlds - connection and freedom - allowing parents peace of mind while giving kids room to explore, play, and build real-world friendships. Ginny and Russell reflect on the developmental importance of long stretches of playtime, the social “glue” kids create in neighborhoods, and why reclaiming outdoor independence is vital for children’s mental health, confidence, and sense of community.

You’ll hear stories, research, and insights that challenge the norms of over-parenting, highlight the transformative power of free play, and celebrate a shared mission between Cosmo and 1000 Hours Outside, to reconnect families and rebuild neighborhoods through trust, autonomy, and adventure.

Tune in to learn:

Why unstructured outdoor play is essential for mental health and development

How a sense of control builds resilience in kids (and adults)

What “un-parenting” really means, and why it matters

How Cosmo Smartwatches are helping families safely rediscover the magic of neighborhood play

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Clinical psychologist and ACT expert Diana Hill returns to help us do what feels nearly impossible in a loud, burned-out world—focus our energy where it actually matters. We talk psychological flexibility, why curiosity beats quick answers, and how “positive energizers” can lift a whole family system. Diana explains neuroception and interoception in everyday terms, then makes it practical: hum to downshift your nervous system, rub your palms and rest them over your eyes, take a short walk outside, and remember that sometimes you can’t think your way out—you have to move your way out. Along the way, we explore why nature reliably restores attention and creativity, and how parents can help kids build real-life wisdom that no app can deliver.

Drawing from her new book Wise Effort, Diana shares the simple moves that metabolize stress hormones and turn big feelings into forward motion (plus the story behind her own “get unstuck button.”) We dig into genius energy, the shadow side of our strengths, and how tiny, values-aligned experiments shift relationships, work, and family life. If you’re overcommitted yet under-involved, this conversation is your trailhead back to presence, purpose, and playful resilience.

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