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

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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.

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