Best FreePlays Podcasts (2025)

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1KHO 614: We Are Wired for Stories | Paul Hastings, Compelled 1:01:59

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1d ago1:01:59

1:01:59

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 …

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Basement Dad's Pinball Podcast - S2E4 - SPIKE2 The End of an Era (Part 2) 2:17:23

2h ago2:17:23

2:17:23

Send us a text With the release of SPIKE3 from Stern, we thought we'd try something a bit different. In this episode of Basement Dads, Paul and George continue the long trek through Stern's SPIKE2 era discussing each game in chronological order starting TMNT and ending with James Bond 007. This is part 2. Expect part 3 to follow. George's Info: Twi…

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1KHO 613: Kids Are Hurting Because of the World We Gave Them | Mike McLeod, GrowNow ADHD 1:04:54

6h ago1:04:54

1:04:54

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy That Sounds Fun Network

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1KHO 612: The Biggest Stage You'll Ever Stand On is Your Living Room | Glen Henry, Father Yourself First 51:59

3d ago51:59

51:59

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-t…

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1KHO 611: 26 Is the New 18 | Tim Elmore, The Future Begins With Z 59:26

5d ago59:26

59:26

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 hopefu…

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1KHO 610: Children Have a Right To Play | Russell York, COSMO 56:15

3d ago56:15

56:15

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 lau…

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1KHO 609: It's Hard to Be a Person | Diana Hill, Wise Effort 56:37

9d ago56:37

56:37

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 i…

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1KHO 608: Hospitality In The Wild | Abby Kuykendall, Let the Biscuits Burn 42:55

10d ago42:55

42:55

Hospitality isn’t a styled table—it’s how people feel in your presence. In this heart-tugging conversation, Abby Kuykendall reframes hospitality as the art of helping others feel known, loved, and seen—whether you meet in a tiny apartment, a messy kitchen, or a neighborhood park. She draws a bright line between entertaining (me-focused aesthetics) …

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1KHO 607: Heaven And Nature Sing | Ellie Holcomb, Far Country 53:05

11d ago53:05

53:05

Ellie Holcomb joins Ginny to trace a clear line from her childhood on the Little Harpeth River to the music, books, and family life she’s building today. She shares how stepping off the tour bus to raise a newborn opened a new creative path—writing Scripture into song during a friend’s battle with depression, which grew into her devotional Fighting…

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1KHO 606: Love No Matter How the Story May End | Peter Mutabazi, Love Does Not Conquer All 58:56

12d ago58:56

58:56

When Peter Mutabazi ran from an abusive home on the streets of Uganda at age ten, he never imagined he’d one day become a foster and adoptive father to more than forty children. In this conversation with host Ginny Yurich, Peter shares his extraordinary story of transformation—from a boy who had nothing, to a man who gives everything. He explains h…

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1KHO 605: Let Them Fall in Love First | Dan Blewett, This Slump Shall Pass 1:02:42

13d ago1:02:42

1:02:42

Kids don’t need earlier tryouts—they need more backyard joy. In this conversation, former pro pitcher Dan Blewett shares how he started “late” by today’s standards, fell in love with the game through free play, and built the grit to endure multiple career-threatening injuries. He argues that early structure can crowd out wonder, and that the deepes…

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1KHO 604: It's a Beautiful World | In Paradise 1:00:32

16d ago1:00:32

1:00:32

When three hitmakers—Jess Cates, Ethan Hulse, and Jordan Mohilowski of In Paradise—sit down with Ginny Yurich, the conversation turns into an ode to real life. From shy kids who found their voice through a $10 garage-sale guitar to a baseball injury that rerouted a future toward award-winning songwriting, they trace how music, community, and countl…

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1KHO 603: Nature is a Time Capsule for Our Memories | Eryn Lynum, Rooted in Wonder 58:22

17d ago58:22

58:22

Wonder doesn’t vanish—we just forget how to see it. In this conversation, master naturalist and author Eryn Lynum shows how kids can reboot ours: inviting us to become “collectors of sunrises,” to trade a single scrolling hour for sky, creek, and trail, and even to bring the wild indoors with bird feeders, houseplants, and the surprisingly magical …

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1KHO 602: There's No Such Thing as a Terrible Toddler | Devon Kuntzman, Transforming Toddlerhood 57:23

18d ago57:23

57:23

In this conversation, toddler expert Devon Kuntzman returns to reframe the years we’re told to dread as a season rich with firsts, wonder, and essential brain development. She explains why toddlerhood and the teen years are “parallel tracks,” and how learning the skills now—setting realistic expectations, scaffolding independence, and embracing the…

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1KHO 601: Learn to Love the Life You Already Have | Kate Strickler, I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen 1:01:53

19d ago1:01:53

1:01:53

So often we think peace is waiting on the other side of “more.” A bigger kitchen. A new season. A little extra space—physically or emotionally. But in this honest and deeply relatable conversation, Nap Time Kitchen founder Kate Strickler joins host Ginny Yurich to explore what it really means to love the life you already have. Together they talk ab…

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1KHO 600: Remember How to Live | Catherine Price, The Power of Fun 1:01:44

20d ago1:01:44

1:01:44

Six hundred episodes in, we’re celebrating with Catherine Price—the award-winning journalist behind How to Break Up with Your Phone and The Power of Fun. Catherine makes a simple, wake-you-up claim: our lives become what we pay attention to. She shares how a late-night moment with her newborn sparked a phone “breakup,” why a true Digital Sabbath ca…

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1KHO 599: The Antidote to Entitlement | Kristen Welch, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World 57:33

23d ago57:33

57:33

What happens when a mom says a bravest yes of her life—and then lets it reshape her family? In this conversation, Kristen Welch, CEO of Mercy House Global and author of Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, traces the moment a Compassion trip to Kenya turned her discontent into calling—and held a mirror up to her own entitlement. She shares h…

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1KHO 598: Let Beauty Do Its Work | Ruth Chou Simons, The Way of the Wildflower 56:25

24d ago56:25

56:25

What if the cure for our anxious, overconnected lives is right outside the door? In this deeply human conversation, Ruth Chou Simons—artist, author, and mom of six—joins Ginny to explore how beauty, especially in nature, becomes a real antidote to hurry, worry, and screen-saturated living. From Jesus’ invitation to “consider the lilies” to the way …

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1KHO 597: Legacy is What We Set in Motion | David Green and Bill High, Hobby Lobby 48:13

25d ago48:13

48:13

What if retirement isn’t the goal of a good life—but a detour from your purpose? In this rich, countercultural conversation, Hobby Lobby founder David Green and legacy expert Bill High challenge the empty-nest, me-first script and offer a generational vision families can actually live. They unpack why purpose doesn’t expire at 65, how multi-generat…

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1KHO 596: Chase Down Your Dreams Today | Shawn Johnson, Kiss the Fire 57:21

26d ago57:21

57:21

When pastor and author Shawn Johnson went to the doctor expecting news about a pinched nerve, he never imagined he’d leave with a diagnosis of an incurable brain disease. What followed was heartbreak, fear, and a hard-won rediscovery of purpose. In this powerful conversation, Shawn shares how faith, movement, and honest community helped him climb o…

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1KHO 595: Your Baby Isn't Broken and Neither Are Your Instincts | Britt Chambers, Good Night Moon Child 58:35

27d ago58:35

58:35

Somewhere along the way, modern parenting turned into a battle against biology. In this powerful conversation, Britt Chambers—founder of Good Night Moon Child—joins Ginny Yurich on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast to dismantle the myth that babies need to be trained to fit adult schedules. She reveals how industrialized culture, profit-driven baby pr…

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1KHO 594: How to Build Resilient Youth | Bryan Gouge, Compassion International 53:09

30d ago53:09

53:09

On World Mental Health Day, youth mental health expert Bryan Gouge, PhD (Compassion International) sits down with Ginny to flip the script—from “fix the kid” to “build the village.” Bryan explains why mental health isn’t just diagnoses; it’s a practice we do together. You’ll hear the four pillars guiding Compassion’s global work—strength-based, you…

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1KHO 593: It's Our Duty to Protect Childhood | Sean Dietrich, Over Yonder 1:01:03

1M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Sean Dietrich returns for his fourth conversation with Ginny Yurich, and it’s one of his most powerful yet. From the near-extinction of kids on bikes to the loss of long attention spans, Sean names what many parents quietly feel — that a way of life has disappeared almost overnight. He shares how a few months with a flip phone reshaped his focus, h…

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1KHO 592: Gravity Intolerance Might Be Your Missing Link | Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Pull 57:59

1M ago57:59

57:59

What if your aches, digestive issues, or low-energy days aren’t just about food or stress — but how well your body manages gravity? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Brennan Spiegel unpacks “gravity intolerance,” the idea that our bodies are increasingly out of sync with the gravity force we evolved under. From astronauts losing bone density in sp…

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1KHO 591: Reading Is an Act of Rebellion | Jack Carr, Cry Havoc 1:01:37

1M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

Filming in Morocco and fresh off the marathon research behind Cry Havoc, bestselling author and former Navy SEAL Jack Carr returns for his fourth 1KHO conversation—this time squarely in our wheelhouse of reading, learning, and family culture. Jack makes a compelling case that books are the antidote to algorithm-driven distraction: stories train att…

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1KHO 590: The Limits of Labels | Joel Salatin, Beyond Labels 56:31

1M ago56:31

56:31

In this unforgettable sixth appearance, world-renowned farmer and author Joel Salatin returns to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast for one of the most powerful conversations yet. Drawing from his book Beyond Labels, Joel exposes how modern life has become trapped in labeling everything — our food, our health, even our families — and what we lose when …

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Basement Dad's Pinball Podcast - S2E3 - SPIKE2 The End of an Era (Part 1) 1:35:49

1M ago1:35:49

1:35:49

Send us a text With the release of SPIKE3 from Stern, we thought we'd try something a bit different. In this episode of Basement Dads, Paul and George begin the long trek through Stern's SPIKE2 era discussing each game in chronological order starting with Batman '66 and ending at COVID (just before TMNT). Initially we thought we make it through all…

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1KHO 589: Strong Roots in a Shifting World | Raechel Myers, She Reads Truth 58:35

1M ago58:35

58:35

When parenting feels like quicksand, where do we plant our feet? In this deeply hope-filled conversation, Raechel Myers—cofounder of She Reads Truth—joins Ginny to unpack why Scripture is not just ancient, but alive and profoundly practical for families today. Drawing on Romans 1 and the way creation “preaches,” Raechel shares how her new devotiona…

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1KHO 588: Tantrum-Free Technology is Here! | Anjan Katta and Tristan Scott, Daylight Computer 58:33

1M ago58:33

58:33

What if the solution to tech-induced meltdowns wasn’t another app, but a different kind of screen altogether? In this urgent, hope-filled conversation, Ginny sits down with Daylight founder and CEO Anjan Katta as well as Tristan Scott—two innovators taking on Big Tech with what they call “the least computer possible.” They explain how Daylight’s re…

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1KHO 587: The Family Team Is the Most Important Team | Tim Green, Rocket Arm 35:13

1M ago35:13

35:13

In this unforgettable episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich sits down with former NFL player, lawyer, and New York Times bestselling author Tim Green. Though Tim now lives with ALS and communicates through adaptive technology, his wisdom, warmth, and humor shine through every word. From life in the NFL to raising a family, from wr…

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1KHO 586: Play-Based Childhoods Are Being Stolen | Nicole Runyon, Free to Fly 58:12

1M ago58:12

58:12

What happens when kids grow up without free play? Licensed therapist Nicole Runyon, LMSW, has been on the frontlines of America’s childhood mental health crisis, and what she’s seen is sobering: most of the children filling therapy offices don’t actually need therapy—they need their parents to reclaim the foundations of childhood. In this episode, …

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1KHO 585: Low Tech and High Text (How to Build Your Child’s Brain with Books and Not Screens) | Doug Lemov, The Science of Reading 55:26

1M ago55:26

55:26

Screens train us to skim; books train us to think. In this urgent, hope-filled conversation, Doug Lemov (Teach Like a Champion) and Ginny make a compelling case for a childhood culture that is low tech, high text. You’ll hear why book-reading is collapsing—what that’s doing to kids’ attention, imagination, and empathy—and exactly how to reverse it …

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1KHO 584: Homeschooling is a Long-Term Play in a Short-Term World | Greta Eskridge, Adventuring Together 51:19

1M ago51:19

51:19

Homeschooling rarely delivers instant feedback—and that’s the point. In this conversation, Ginny Yurich and five-time guest Greta Eskridge zoom out beyond this week’s math lesson to the decades that follow it. They talk about the power of multi-age life at home, the confidence that grows when kids are free to pursue real interests, and why “holes” …

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1KHO 583: When Your Best Isn't Enough to Prevent Pain | Tony Miltenburger, Wisdom in the Wound 55:32

1M ago55:32

55:32

What if the very wounds you never meant to cause are also the trailheads to your child’s greatest gifts and your own? In this deeply honest conversation, Army veteran, pastor, coach, and author Tony Miltenberger sits down with Ginny to unpack the hard paradox parents live every day: intentions don’t always protect against impact. Tony names the “li…

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1KHO 582: Life Is Hard and Beautiful at the Same Time | Jillian Benfield, Overwhelmed & Grateful 50:14

1M ago50:14

50:14

When life lurches from order to disorder, what if the way through isn’t either/or—but and? In this moving conversation, author and advocate Jillian Benfield sits down with Ginny to unpack the transformative idea behind her new book, Overwhelmed & Grateful—that we can honor pain and practice gratitude without denying either reality. Jillian shares h…

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1KHO 581: The Surprising Ways We Snip Off Potential Growth | Dr. Bruce Perry, What Happened to You? 57:08

2M ago57:08

57:08

What if the very ways we structure childhood are quietly cutting off our kids’ potential? In this powerful conversation, renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry joins Ginny to unpack why real learning requires movement, play, and space to reflect—not endless worksheets, long lectures, and overscheduled days. He explains how the brain wires itself thr…

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1KHO 580: Family Doesn't Have to Be Perfect in Order to Be Strong | Jessica Smartt, Come On Home 1:03:26

2M ago1:03:26

1:03:26

Families are never flawless—but they can still be resilient, connected, and full of joy. In this episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Jessica Smartt returns for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a home your kids want to come back to. Drawing from her new book, Come On Home, Jessica shares stories of life on a family co…

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1KHO 579: Every Person Has a Story | Hunter Prosper, Stories From a Stranger 56:50

2M ago56:50

56:50

What if one open-ended question could turn a hospital room (or a hurried life) into a place where people feel seen? In this conversation, ICU nurse–turned–story gatherer Hunter Prosper shares how asking a dying patient about her greatest love cracked his own burnout and sparked Stories from a Stranger, a project he calls “therapy for millions.” Tog…

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1KHO 578: The Freedom to Change Plans Is a Superpower | Amber O'Neal Johnston, Homegrown 58:00

2M ago58:00

58:00

What if homeschooling wasn’t a conveyor belt of quizzes and boredom—but the most flexible, life-giving way to raise whole humans? In this conversation with Amber O’Neal Johnston, editor of the new anthology Homegrown, we dismantle the myths: how Amber went from “absolutely not” to “never looked back,” why freedom to pivot becomes a family superpowe…

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1KHO 577: The Family Food Reset | Ali Miller, Naturally Nourished Kids 56:07

2M ago56:07

56:07

When feeding your family feels confusing and chaotic, this episode is your reset. Functional-medicine dietitian Ali Miller (RD, LD, CDE) shows how to move from “immediate” choices to environmental shifts to true habit rewiring—simplifying dinner with 5–7-minute protein sears, sheet-pan veggies, and one slow-cook a week. We talk “God foods” vs. ultr…

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1KHO 576: How To Get Good at Joy When You Don’t Like Your Likable Life | Rachel Awtrey, Love Your Life 56:38

2M ago56:38

56:38

What if joy isn’t a mood but a muscle? In this heartfelt, fast-moving conversation, Rachel Awtrey shares how she learned to “nod to hard things without bowing to them" from cayenne-in-the-chili nights and Lego landmines to job loss and grief. She unpacks three kinds of hard days (typical interruptions, long tough seasons, and true tragedies), why w…

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1KHO 575: My Life Changed When I Started Growing My Own Food | Bailey Van Tassel, Kitchen Garden Living 51:59

2M ago51:59

51:59

What if the antidote to our frantic, hyper-scheduled lives is a single pot of herbs on the back step? In this deeply honest conversation, returning guest Bailey Van Tassel shares how planting one container cracked open a new way of living—rewiring how she mothers, works, and measures “success.” We talk about the joy of learning again as an adult, t…

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1KHO 574: Raising Daughters Who Stand Strong in an Age of Instant Influence | Kari Kampikas, Is Your Daughter Ready? 54:21

2M ago54:21

54:21

This conversation is a deep breath and a practical roadmap for a time when parenting has become so challening. Bestselling author Kari Kampakis (mom of four girls) joins Ginny to share what truly equips daughters for today’s pressures—friendship shifts, online comparison, dating drama, and the “conformity engine” that can steal childhood wonder. Ka…

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1KHO 573: Life is Good Today | Danielle Kartes, The Best Kids Cookbook 1:04:26

2M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

In our most light and peppy episode to date, Danielle Kartes reminds us that joy is available today—not if or when. In this upbeat, heart-forward conversation, the celebrity chef behind Rustic Joyful Food shares how a closed restaurant, tight budgets, and a whole lot of grit became the soil for fourteen books, national TV appearances, and a ministr…

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1KHO 572: There Are So Many Ways to Be Smart | Maeve Jemison, Home is Where the Truth Is 58:08

2M ago58:08

58:08

This special September Sunday episode is a deep breath for weary and wondering parents. Ginny welcomes author and podcaster Maeve Jemison to dismantle the most persistent homeschool myths—socialization, schedules, screens, “I’m not patient enough,” “we both work,” single parenting homeschool, and more—and to show why home can be the ultimate indivi…

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Basement Dad's Pinball Podcast - S2E2 - Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire on Spike 3 1:34:18

2M ago1:34:18

1:34:18

Send us a text Basement Dad's went to Elk Grove, IL this week for the Stern Pinball Media Event surrounding their newest release, Star Wars: Fall of the Empire! But... we brought a guest. Listen in as Paul, George, and Mike (Lord_Helmet) discuss the layout, the code, the art, the license, and the experience of getting to play the newest game on the…

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1KHO 571: Strengthening the Family Base Camp in a High-Pressure World | Luis Fernando Llosa, Emotionally Resilient Tweens and Teens 58:14

2M ago58:14

58:14

Beloved guest Luis Fernando Llosa returns with a simple, gritty rescue plan for modern families: rebuild the family base camp so your kids can handle pressure, bullying, and performance culture without losing their joy. We dig into free play over frenzy, why most kids quit organized sports by 13, and how to prepare your child for the possibility of…

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1KHO 570: The Grandfather Effect | Ted Page, Good Grandpa 56:46

2M ago56:46

56:46

In this heart-opening conversation, Ted Page and Ginny explore why grandfathers are oddly absent from popular culture—and why their presence might be exactly what modern families are missing. Drawing on Ted’s new book, Good Grandpa: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood, and voices from grandpas across cultures and generations, they unpack the …

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1KHO 569: The Words That Build a Child | Amy Hughes, Words Like Honey 57:44

2M ago57:44

57:44

In this heart-lifting conversation, Ginny sits down with author and mama of nine Amy Hughes to explore how ordinary phrases shape extraordinary childhoods—often more than we realize. From the “funny” comment a six-year-old takes as literal truth, to why “be careful” and “calm down” backfire, Amy shows simple swaps that lower fear, raise connection,…

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Basement Dad's Pinball Podcast - S2E1 - All the New in 2025 1:39:07

2M ago1:39:07

1:39:07

Send us a text Season 2 of Basement Dad's Pinball Podcast is here! Listen in as George and Paul review everything that has happened in 2025 so far... New Releases Harry Potter Evil Dead King Kong Dune Video Games: Red Dead Redemption 2 Split Fiction Books: Dungeon Crawler Carl Competition Play Dory Hill... next time. George's Info: Twitch: https://…