1KHO 670: It Is Our Job as Parents to Protect Our Child’s Brain | Arlene Pellicane, Screen Kids

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Ginny Yurich

Kids & Family, Parenting

4.9 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Get your free 2026 tracker sheet ⁠⁠here⁠ Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Screens don’t just fill time. They also begin to shape what feels normal in a child’s brain, body, and relationships. In this episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich sits down with family researcher and bestselling author Arlene Pellicane to talk about what kids lose when devices become the default (attention, affection, conversation, imagination), and what parents can rebuild with simple, steady choices. You’ll hear why “background TV” isn’t as harmless as it seems, how early screen exposure can set a lifelong pattern of seeking instant stimulation, why gaming and social media can hijack identity, and how to handle screen-time conflict when spouses (or even grandparents) aren’t on the same page. This is practical, hopeful encouragement without guilt: delay what you can, replace screens with real-life skills and two-hands activities, and protect the one thing your kids can’t swap out later—their capacity for connection. Learn more about Arlene and all she has to offer here Get your copy of Screen Kids here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, oh, it's a beautiful world.
0:05.0	Ain't nothing on a screen that's ever gonna beat this view.
0:10.0	Oh, oh, it's a beautiful world.
0:16.0	And I just wanna share it with, I just want to share with you this beautiful world
0:24.5	such a beautiful world before we begin I want to say thank you for pressing play
0:36.7	the 1,000 hours outside podcast
0:38.7	exists because of people like you, families, parents, grandparents, educators, and curious humans
0:43.9	who sense that something is a little amiss in the world right now and who are choosing a more
0:48.4	intentional real world way forward. Today's conversation fits that beautifully. Our guest is
0:53.9	Arlene Pelican, and this episode
0:55.8	gets right to the heart of something we all know, that our kids' brains, attention, and relationships
1:00.3	are under pressure, and it's our job to protect them. We talk about screens and how they affect
1:05.6	affection, attention, identity, and how we can choose differently. This is one of those episodes
1:10.8	you'll likely want to share
1:12.2	once it ends. Before we jump in, I want to invite you to a few things that can genuinely change
1:16.5	the culture of your home this year. First, our free 2026 1,000 hours outside tracker sheets are
1:22.1	live. These are a simple tool with a surprisingly big ripple effect, helping families move from wanting more time outside
1:28.2	to actually living it, noticing progress, and then celebrating what matters. You can download them
1:33.4	today at 1,000Hours Outside.com slash checkers. If paper checkers aren't your thing, our 1,000 Hours Outside
1:38.8	app is available on iOS and Android. It is consistently top ranked, gets incredible reviews,
1:45.0	and it's truly a mom and pop project we've poured our hearts into. Right now, the app is just $25 for the
1:50.0	entire year, about $2.8 a month to help your family lower screen dependence and make real
	...

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