Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids

WOW! Woohoo it's about TIME we made it to 200 episodes!!  I am not slowing down either!! Join me on this episode where we continue our Summertime series by practicing taming our time with the letters TIME... Let's stay curious and put these into practice... Time tools- Which tools do you currently have in your toolbox and which tools could you put into place during your summer days!?  Intentionally look at the time throughout your day! I highly recommend investing in some analog clocks to put up in your home as a way to watch time pass by and help combat that time blindness that is often fed by digital clocks!  Mirror routines that work during the school year or on a regular basis (create a special summer routine if needed- consistency is key to build habits and create a sense of autonomy from one day to the next. (check out the power of habit stacking too!) Express the feeling of overwhelm/rushed or express creativity in the face of feeling bored with "too much time!"  Collaboratively you can create a summer that is filled with fun and find that time that often gets lost!  Reach out and connect to share your experience with TIME at www.katelynmabry.com. I look forward to hearing from you!! Have a blessed day!   Intro music credit:  http://uppbeat.oi/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO

WOHOO Summer time is here! It's a great time to keep our bodies moving and our mind calm! BUT wait, sometimes we are faced with day to day battles and that is why I am coming to you with a brand new Summer series with tons of tips, tricks and strategies to make this the best summer yet as you defeat the giants you may come up against... In this episode, we are going to start with the biggest battle in many of our homes... TAMING TECHNOLOGY! Whether you like video games, have a favorite show or get sucked into YouTube shorts...this is a SUPER important topic to talk about to come up with a way to thrive day by day in your mind, body and emotions! Technology has it's benefits, but for those of us with ADHD, it's also a huge trigger for dysregulation and the overstimulation of it can quickly throw us into fight or flight mode. Too much tech time can also turn off our creativity and kindness...which gets replaced with reactivity by our big emotions. It can increase impulsivity, make it hard to decision make, and causes a battle in tackling day to day tasks because our executive function skills are even weaker due to overstimulation!  I have good news for you though, there are ways to tame it and have a much happier, healthier relationship with it this summer! Colloboratively problem solve what these 3 L's could look like in your day to day routine... Limit: Create clear expectations and boundaries on technology use each day. Be sure there is more movement/outside time and the time spent has purpose... Leverage: Use technology to help you learn and grow a skill, spend time on it connecting with friends, or use it as an incentive after working on other tasks throughout your structured day! Leave: Reflect on the apps and games that you have on your different types of technology. Are they helpful or at all hurtful. What do you need to leave to be sure you are feeding your mind with things that will exercise your thinking vs. cause overstimulation and addictive tendencies.    Parent Resource: Check out "Reset Your Child's Brain: End meltdowns, raise grades, and boost social skills by reversing the effects of electronic screen time" by: Dr. Victoria Dunkley Connect with me at www.katelynmabry.com to check out my kids book, or to reach out and learn more about my 1:1 coaching program. I would also love to hear from you if your kiddo would be interested in sharing some of their ADHD journey on a future episode! Kids love hearing from other kids! Love you all!    Intro music credit: http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10F2HHN3YO  

"I just can't pay attention!" Is that a thought you find frequently racing through your busy brain!? If so, I am super excited for you to listen to this episode to learn about your loads of attention that simply needs to be understood, so you can learn how to adjust your spotlight of attention by adjusting the environment you are in!!  In this episode, you will meet Psychologist and author, Gemma Goldenberg, who wrote the incredible book, "Take Action on Distraction." Dr. Gemma shares how there are two different types of attention and the one our busy brains struggle with the most should be seen as a spotlight that can be controlled by taking action steps in your different environments!  Decluttering, sound reduction, and taking breaks outdoors are just a few of the ways we can take action on your distraction in all settings! You can learn to refocus that spotlight on the task at hand by making changes to your environment!  Your trusted adult can find Dr. Gemma on Instagram @phd_and_three where you can follow her journey through sharing awesome research based resources. You can find her book, "Take Action on Distraction" on Amazon too! This would be a great teacher gift as well!  Don't forget to check out our May sponsor's website,  www.calmstrips.com to grab your set of sensory strip tools that you and your family can stick in all of your different environments for support in finding calm! These non-resedue, water resistent sensory stickers have calming prompts and can be customized to meet your needs wherever you go!  Then come visit me at www.katelynmabry.com to reach out with questions, share your story, or check out any of my resources too! Always here for you!    Intro music credit: http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO  

Have you ever heard that we need to stay CURIOUS before FURIOUS!? If not, you have heard it now and I want you to write it down as a daily reminder in both responding to others and being more kind to yourself!  In this episode, we will explore this whole idea of calming your mind by maintaining a posture of curiosity in the face of bordom or other situations that trigger that nervous system or make those thoughts race!  Listen in as we practice self-reflective questions that will ignite curiosity and curb bordom!  Have you checked out our May sponsor yet!? CALM STRIPS is a fantastic sensory tool for the whole family that your curious mind can use to find calm. It's residue free, which is great for every surface and it's water resistent, so you can take them with you on your waterbottle too! They continually have new colors and styles to choose from, while also offering an option to customize a unique sensory tool just for you! It would make a wonderful teacher gift too!! Visit www.calmstrips.com to learn more!  You can also visit me at www.katelynmabry.com for more resources, or to connect with me if you're interested in a FREE coaching consultation! I LOVE working 1:1 with kiddos two while we take transformational steps that are helpful for the whole family!    Intro music credit: http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO  

"We are hard-wired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, without it, there is suffering." ~Brene Brown (social worker, world renowned speaker). This is how God desiged us, we are created for CONNECTION!  Do you agree!? Sometimes we CRAVE connection, but have a hard time creating it!  I know I do and have a daily experience with this too! When I feel connected, I feel more regulated, when I feel disconnected, I start to spiral into dysregulation!  Bottom line, disconnection leads to dysregulation in all areas of life!  The good news is that we CAN takes steps toward more intentional connection...Let's practice these three steps... FIGURE out if you in fact are disconnected... Are you feeling distant from others? Are you feeling irritable or just plain funky at home or at school? Are your grades dropping? If so, throw up the red flag of disconnection... NOW WHAT? FIND a way to connect... Ask trusted adult or green light friends to hang out, email teachers pictures from your weekend to connect with when you get back to school, invite others to do something your intereste drived brain loves to do with you!  FALL into the HABIT of intentionall connecting with others... Make plans with green light friends or trusted adult ahead of time to create playful opportunities throughout the week.  When we are intentional with connection, we can stay on top of our regulation and just overall feel better from day to day!!  Reach out to me through my website www.katelynmabry.com to share your connection story.  Also check out our sponsor Calm Strips @ www.calmstrips.com. These fantastic calming tools are a great addition to your household and classroom settings. They are residue free and water resistant, so they are create for all surfaces. These sesory tools are great for your whole family to use! I know we love them and I know you will too!    Intro music credit: #uppbeat http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO

Do you have thoughts that race like a really fast car and you find yourself worried about things near and far!? If so, you are not alone and so many of us have these thoughts and feelings too!  In this episode, we will practice capturing that first thought that is spiraling us into a state of worry! We will practice speaking truth to that thought, regulate to find calm, and then release the thought so that it can be reframed to a thought that will take us down a road of less worry and more hope for the future! I also share a sneak peek of some pages from a book I am working on... Practice makes progress and I know all of us have different levels and experiences with this thing called Anxiety, but I also know that you can intentionally take steps to grab hold of control over those thoughts driving those intense feelings! Let's do it together, one step at a time!  Some great tools to embed into this practice are CALM STRIPS! These residue-free, water resistant sensory strips are great for the whole family to use on any surface and in any space. You can put it on your favorite water bottle, on a desk, i-pad, phone, in your car, or anywhere else worry may strike! You can even customize them to meet your thought needs! Check them out at www.calmstrips.com to start your collection at home and school!  Reach out to me at www.katelynmabry.com to learn more about the current book I have available, "Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD." You can also contact me if your kiddo would like to share some of their ADHD journey with their peers! Kids love hearing from other kids with beautiful, brilliant, busy brains! Have a great day! Love you all!    Intro music credit: #Uppbeat http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO

Do you love a good mystery!? I know I do, but sometimes it's hard to find a book that keeps meet engaged and wanting to read more... I hope you will jump into this exciting book series with me, that was written for our busy brains and has a main character that shares a busy brilliant brain just like you and I do!  In this episode, you will meet Author, Diana Renn, who has a passion for bringing a good mystery to life and connecting with readers who may be struggling to be seen or understood! Diana shares some details of her first two books, "The Owl Prowl Mystery" and "Trouble at Turtle Pond." You will love the story line of both books and they act as great read alouds, bedtime stories, or even books to read to get more minutes in to grow your brilliant brains!  CONNECTION is what we all crave and it is what you will find with this book series! Go to www.dianarennbooks.com to learn more about this awesome book and find some fabulous follow up resources that will help you dive in even deeper!  I'm so excited for you to check out our May sponsor, Calm Strips! These handy sensory sensations can go with you anywhere as they are reusable and are safe to stick to water bottles, tablets, desks at school and home. Kids love to collect and trade these, while using them to both focus and find calm!! Visit www.calmstrips.com to find the pattern that speaks to you!!! You can also visit me at www.katelynmabry.com to connect and share your journey with me too! I look forward to hearing from you!!  Intro music from #Uppbeat http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License Code: BYN10YF2HHNY3YO

Do you ever find friendships tricky or being in social settings sticky!? If so, you are not alone! In this episode, we will piggyback off of becoming more self aware in these social situations and we will talk about how to find our voice and self-advocate for what we need with friends and in other social settings!  We are bringing back the 3 R's when it comes to self-advocacy... Recognize when you have a need Regulate when overwhelmed/triggered Respond once thinking brain is back online to what you may need in that situation (space, a break, movement, quiet, etc...) We also disuss the importance of being mindful and recognizing what your friends need...like active listening, space bubbles, space and an explanation to explore!? The more we can practice putting a voice to how we think and feel, followed by sharing our needs, the more aware our friends and others will be to help them be more prepared to respond best to support you too!  Let's continue putting on the armor of unconditional confidence in those social settings too! "WHAT CAN I CONTROL!? My thoughts, effort, attitude, and how I treat others!" You can visit me at www.katelynmabry.com for more resources or to connect with me to share future episode ideas. I would love to hear from you!  Make sure you check this month's sponsor, StoryMii! This soothing app will transform your reading experience!! It will open up the world of imagination and allow your child to create stories that they will get excited to read again and again as it's designed to entertain their beautiful, busy brain! Visit www.miiapps.com and plug in ADHD10 to experience 1 month of story creation for FREE!    Intro music from #uppbeat (free for creators) http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10F2HHNY3YO

Do you ever feel like "no one understands," or the feeling of not being seen or heard consumes you at home and/or at school!? If so, this episode is for you and you are not alone! Let me be clear...we are not giving excuses...we are giving EXPLAINATIONS to explore!!  This is episode 2 of our self-advocacy series! So go back and listen to last weeks episode for the intro to get the most out of the series! In this episode, we dive deeper into how to be your best self-advocate at home and at school with both words and actions. Now, please know that self-advocacy needs to come with an equal about of respect and kindness in your tone and attitude. Those you love are learning right alongside you! As you explain and explore what works best, do so with love and kindness!  Home is often our safe space to express, however, others ofter don't see the internal struggle, they only see the behavior!  Practice listening to your mind a body! Practice using your words to express your need, " I am having a hard time!" "My brain needs a break, I am going to go outside!" "I need a snack and movement before I start my homework to refuel my mind!"  If words are hard, practice with actions: Zip lips and move feet away space where big feelings are triggered. Play outside or find calm doing something you love in your room or other safe space to feel your feelings!  School can be tricky, but SUPER important to find your voice as so often your behavior or challenges are misunderstood! Identify which tools could be helpful in that classroom/school environment. Practice what to say, when to say, and how to say what you need to succeed at home so that you feel more comfortable doing it at school!  Give a voice to your needs in that school environment: "I am having a hard time focusing, I NEED to move my body so I can come back and find focus again."  Self-advocacy is a skill that can be tricky for kids and adults! But if we practice at a younger age and more often, it will become easier and more of a habit! Don't forget to check out our April sponsor, Story Mii @ http://www.miiapps.com and plug in the code: ADHD10 to enjoy one month free of creating all of the stories your heart desires!! This app will surely ignite your love for reading and bring to life your amazing imagination!! I would love to hear how you and your kiddos like it!!  You can also connect with me through www.katelynmabry.com . Oh and if you're interested in a signed copy of my book for you or your child's classroom, reach out, because I have some on hand that I would love to sign and send to you! Have a beautiful day! Love you all!    Intro music credit:  Music from #uppbeat (free for creators) http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO

Do you ever feel like you wish others could look inside your brain to understand you better!? It's our deepest desire to feel seen, heard, and understood...this is why this self-advocacy series is so important!  What is self- advocacy? It's speaking up for oneself and what you need to succeed in different environments! Why is this so important? Because often others don't understand the way our uniquely wired brains work! Some of us look like sitting ducks, masking the day away and paddling like crazy under the surface trying to stay afloat! Others have behaviors that are misunderstood because the internal piece is misunderstood! Because others don't always know WHAT works best for us (what we need in our executive function toolbox or what to pull out of it when!) Because others need to know WHEN there is an internal struggle that needs a tool or strategy in the moment (i.e. taking breaks, breaking tasks into parts, or even a need for noise reduction because of the distractions the noises cause.) Let's take some action steps toward self- advocacy together... Practice speaking up to those closest to you and safest for you! Provide EXPLANATION vs. any excuses  Protect your heart and mind- Sometimes others will choose not to accommodate or hear you in your effort to self-advocate...this is when you put on your armor of unconditional confidence, leaning into what you CAN control... your thoughts, effort, attitude, and how you treat others!  If you enjoy this podcast and would like to learn more about my 1:1 coaching, reach out to me @ www.katelymabry.com . You can also check out my book and follow me on IG for more helpful content! ALSO, if your kiddo would like to practice self-advocating by sharing some of their ADHD journey on a future podcast episode, please reach out and let me know so we can set that up!  Make sure to check out our April Sponsor "StoryMii." This brilliant App was created for the neurodivergent mind to fall in love with reading! It is designed especially for kiddos who struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. This story app brings your child's imagination to life!  My son LOVES it and I know you will too! Go to  http://www.miiapps.com and plug in the code: ADHD10 to recieve free access for 1 month!! Let me know how you like it!    Intro music credit: Music from #Uppbeat (free for creators!) http://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/seize-the-day License code: BYYN10YF2HHNY3YO