The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

When we teach children to trust their feelings, we give them one of the most powerful tools they'll ever have for staying safe.

In this important conversation, Ginny sits down with attorney, child wellness advocate, and author Joy Stevenson-Laws to explore why feelings—not rules—are often a child's first line of defense. Inspired by her own family's experience, Joy explains how children process the world through emotions long before they can fully understand logic, and why validating those feelings can create the trust children need to speak up when something doesn't feel right.

Together they discuss Joy's new picture book, Secrets That Sparkle and Secrets That Sting, a beautifully written resource that helps families distinguish between joyful, harmless secrets and unsafe secrets that should always be shared with a trusted adult. They also explore practical ways parents can foster meaningful conversations, help children recognize what their bodies are telling them, and create homes where every feeling is welcomed without shame or dismissal.

This episode is an encouraging reminder that emotional awareness isn't about raising fearful children—it's about raising confident, connected kids who know their voices matter. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, or caregiver, you'll come away with practical tools to strengthen trust, deepen communication, and help children develop the lifelong skill of listening to their intuition.

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them out below:

BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month.

Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns

IXL Learning - Head to www.ixl.com/1000hours to get an exclusive 20% savings on your membership

Whisker - Take care of your cats while taking an additional $50 off bundles with code 1000HOURS when you shop www.whisker.com/1000HOURS

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What happens after the miracle?

Paralympic gold medalist, ESPN broadcaster, Dancing with the Stars finalist, and bestselling author Victoria Arlen joins Ginny Yurich for one of the most honest conversations she's ever had about life after survival. Victoria shares the unimaginable story of spending four years trapped inside her own body with two rare neurological conditions before relearning how to walk, swim, and ultimately compete on the world stage.

But this conversation goes beyond the comeback story. Victoria opens up about the hidden cost of trauma, the pressure of being called an inspiration, the mental health struggles that followed her incredible achievements, and why writing her new book, The View Is Worth It, became so important. Together, Ginny and Victoria explore forgiveness, faith, burnout, learning to rest, and how healing often begins long after everyone else thinks you're "better."

Victoria also reflects on the profound role her mother played throughout her journey, how childhood memories of Lake Winnipesaukee became a lifeline during years of being locked inside her body, and why the outdoors can provide hope that lasts a lifetime.

This is a moving conversation about resilience, purpose, and discovering that sometimes the greatest victory isn't overcoming adversity, it's learning to simply be present and embrace the beauty that's been there all along.

Get Victoria's book here!

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them out below:

BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month.

Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns

IXL Learning - Head to www.ixl.com/1000hours to get an exclusive 20% savings on your membership

Whisker - Take care of your cats while taking an additional $50 off bundles with code 1000HOURS when you shop www.whisker.com/1000HOURS

woom Bikes - Go to woom.com and use code 1000HOURS at checkout for 10% off your new bike purchase, excluding the woom WOW.

Muzzle Sleep Tape - Go to MuzzleSleep.com and use code 1000HOURS for 10% off.

Ethos Life Insurance - Get your free quote at ethos.com/1000hours

Active Skin Repair - Don’t forget to put this in your first aid kit! Visit ActiveSkinRepair.com and use the code 1000HOURS to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the best family memories start with things going completely off the rails. Father-daughter duo Marty Ohlhaut and Grace Ly join Ginny Yurich to tell the hilarious, harrowing, and surprisingly moving story behind Tent for Seven, their memoir about a family camping trip filled with lost hiking boots, packed campgrounds, a washed-out road, a terrifying injury, two knocked-out teeth, bears, and strangers who seemed to show up at exactly the right moment. Somehow, the trip that went so spectacularly wrong became part of what held their family together. This conversation is a reminder that we don’t need perfect vacations or elaborate plans to give our kids a childhood they’ll remember. Sometimes we just need to go, stay open to the adventure, and trust that even the mishaps may someday become the stories we love telling most. Find Tent for Seven and more from Marty Ohlhaut at https://martyohlhaut.com and Grace Ly at https://www.gracelyauthor.com/
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What if raising capable, confident children could feel less like a constant power struggle, and more like a partnership?

In this episode, Ginny welcomes Simone Davies, Montessori educator and co-author of The Montessori Baby, The Montessori Toddler, and The Montessori Child, for the podcast’s first-ever conversation about Montessori parenting.

Simone explains how Montessori principles can be used at home to help children grow in independence, responsibility, curiosity, and confidence. She shares why parents are meant to be guides rather than bosses or servants, how a thoughtfully prepared environment can reduce nagging and conflict, and why slowing down gives children the time they need to explore, practice, solve problems, and develop at their own pace.

They also explore the four major stages of childhood, from birth through age 24, including the often-overlooked stability and enormous intellectual capacity of children ages six to twelve. Simone offers practical ideas for following a child’s interests, involving them in real family life, supporting hands-on learning, and preparing them for the gradual independence of adolescence and young adulthood.

This encouraging conversation is a reminder that children are far more capable than we often assume, and that parenting can become more peaceful when we learn to observe, trust, guide, and let go.

Learn more about Simone here.

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them out below:

BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month.

Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns

IXL Learning - Head to www.ixl.com/1000hours to get an exclusive 20% savings on your membership

Whisker - Take care of your cats while taking an additional $50 off bundles with code 1000HOURS when you shop www.whisker.com/1000HOURS

woom Bikes - Go to woom.com and use code 1000HOURS at checkout for 10% off your new bike purchase, excluding the woom WOW.

Muzzle Sleep Tape - Go to MuzzleSleep.com and use code 1000HOURS for 10% off.

Ethos Life Insurance - Get your free quote at ethos.com/1000hours

Active Skin Repair - Don’t forget to put this in your first aid kit! Visit ActiveSkinRepair.com and use the code 1000HOURS to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Movement isn't a distraction from learning—it's one of the ways children learn best.

In this conversation, Ginny sits down with educator and author Mike Huber to explore why rough-and-tumble—or "whole body"—play is one of childhood's most misunderstood and essential experiences. Drawing from decades of classroom experience and research, Mike explains how movement helps children develop self-regulation, social awareness, empathy, confidence, and even the ability to focus and learn.

Together, they unpack the difference between healthy risk and hidden hazards, why today's children often lack meaningful agency over their own movement, and how physical play teaches kids to read nonverbal cues, build trust, assess risk, and strengthen friendships. They also discuss why fidgeting and movement are often signs that the brain is trying to regain focus—not evidence that a child isn't paying attention.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this episode offers a compelling case for embracing movement instead of suppressing it—and practical encouragement for raising children who are confident, capable, and deeply connected to both their bodies and the world around them.

Get your copy of Embracing Rough and Tumble Play here

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them out below:

BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month.

Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns

IXL Learning - Head to www.ixl.com/1000hours to get an exclusive 20% savings on your membership

Whisker - Take care of your cats while taking an additional $50 off bundles with code 1000HOURS when you shop www.whisker.com/1000HOURS

woom Bikes - Go to woom.com and use code 1000HOURS at checkout for 10% off your new bike purchase, excluding the woom WOW.

Muzzle Sleep Tape - Go to MuzzleSleep.com and use code 1000HOURS for 10% off.

Ethos Life Insurance - Get your free quote at ethos.com/1000hours

Active Skin Repair - Don’t forget to put this in your first aid kit! Visit ActiveSkinRepair.com and use the code 1000HOURS to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices