The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

• 1KHO 620: How Do I Make Friends? | Jennie Allen, Find Your People

  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

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• 1KHO 619: Ungoverned by Four Walls, | Jess Warner and Adele Hopper, TimberNook Australia

  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

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• 1KHO 618: A Developmentally Appropriate Childhood Is Self-Care for the Whole Family | Dr. Natasha Beck, Dr. Organic Mommy

  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

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• 1KHO 617: The Courage to Be Left Behind | Erin Loecher, The Opt-Out Family

  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

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• 1KHO 616: The Best Ways to Raise Resilient Children | Dr. Michael Gurian, The Wonder of Boys

  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. Get your copy of The Wonder of Boys here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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