Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids

April Fools!! For my regular listeners, you may have been wondering if I was going to do an episode this week, but here I am one day late using April 1st as a perfectly good reason to delay the episode;)

My daughter, Alayna, joins me in the beginning of this episode as we play off of April fools day and talk about how laughter can be a great form of triggering motivation and joy into areas of struggle as well. Laughter gives a dose of dopamine and gives our mind that joy chemical it needs. Layni shares some ways that she embeds laughter into her day. She also admits that she is "always" finding herself bored! I think many of you can relate to that feeling too!

Boredom is not a symptom of ADHD, but it is a result of our brains neurologically needing more stimulation and entertainment. In this episode I share three ways to combat bordom both at home and at school...

1. Embed/tie interests into activities. Use fidgets to do math or look up a Minecraft article to get reading time in. General boredom can ignite that creativity that is already a gift your mind has. Tap into that creativity and make up a game at home that includes something of interest, etc.

2. Make yourself move! I say "make" because often ADHD paralysis becomes a struggle and you don't "want" to move...but getting creative with movement of ANY kind will battle boredom and also give that dose of dopamine that you are low in.

3. Shorten activities and switch it up! Create novelty in what you do throughout your day. Plan on doing things in shorter time periods (draw for 5 min. Then go outside for 10 min. Next, come in for a snack for 5 more minutes) At school, advocate for changing environments to get work done or encourage teacher to change room around to keep it fresh. Encourage teacher to shorten lesson time periods of presentation as well. I know that can be hard, but super helpful for ALL students. Breaking things into smaller parts is the key!

I hope you enjoy this episode! Please email me at [email protected] if you'd like me to send questions so your child can share their ADHD journey on this podcast.

Check out my website www.katelynmabry.com for more resources or to order a signed copy of my book, "Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD"

Thank you for being here! Love you all!

Do you find yourself at the boiling point and having a hard time controlling those burst of anger!! If so, you are not alone! Those big intense emotions are no joke when you live with ADHD and I wanted to speak directly to the topic of anger so you can capture those thoughts behind the anger and take steps to pull yourself into finding calm and growing in your response to that intense emotion!

In this episode, you will do some visualizing!!

1. Stop sign
2. Smoke Detector
3. Money
4. Prayer/Mindful practices

Each symbol has a purpose to help you practice recognizing that smoke inside, pausing, and become aware that angry words and actions can cost you to lose relationships, etc., and finally you need to customize the last step...I choose to pray and turn to God's word/truth...you may choose to practice mindset shifts and exercise zipping your lip and moving your feet, etc...where can you go to use soothers and find your calm!?

So happy you are here! Visit my website www.katelynmabry.com for more resources, check out my book, get on my email list, or book a free consultation to see if ADHD life coaching would be a helpful next step for you and your family! Can't wait to be with you next week when we jumpstart a series of back to school episodes!! Love you all!!!

Make a New Year resolution they say!? Our ADHD brains say NOPE! Instead, let's create micro goals to practice and turn into HABITS! Creating habits allow you to do things without needing those executive function skills that are so tricky for us so often!

"Easier said then done" you say!? You are absolutely right! This is why you need a plan to create the habit. Set yourself up for success by setting alarms, reminders, post-it notes, visual checklist on a visible calendar (the key it to be sure it is in your face!) Try different tools and strategies until you discover what works best for YOUR brain!

In this short but sweet episode, I recap some past take-aways as I encourage you to celebrate strengths, reflect and respond to some changes you'd like to make, habits you'd like to create in 2023, along with the question of how you plan to take steps to get there. Step by step and day by day you need to give yourself grace, practice lots of self compassion, be in tuned with your mindset and intentional about growing in all areas.

I want to make it a habit in 2023 to have more of you ADHD warriors as guests on this podcast. Please email me an MP3 audioclip sharing thoughts, tips, or things to try on your ADHD journey ([email protected]) I will use your clip as an topic prompt and feature it on a future episode!

You can visit www.katelynmabry.com to get on my email list and recieve weekly episode updates with added resources! If you are interested in hiring an ADHD Life Coach, you can go to www.focusforwardadhd.com to set up a free consultation.

Love you all! Happy New Year!

Why is getting an ADHD diagnosis important? So, you can learn about how your Ferrari brain works and then you are able to get the help you need with those "bicycle breaks." Just like you go see an eye doctor if you have a hard time seeing or a pediatrician (child doctor) if you are not feeling well. This is the same idea as finding the help you need with areas of ADHD struggle, as well as interest driven activities and ways of learning new things!

In this episode, you will hear from world authority in ADHD, Dr. Ned Hallowell! Dr. H is an incredible psychiatrist, who specialises in helping children and adults with ADHD. He has written tons of books, some that were best sellers, and he has played a pivotal role in introducing and driving our strength-based approach to ADHD! He shares how important it is to learn about your brilliant brain, he gives tips on how to start your day, and leaves you with a simple, but super valuable affirmation to remind yourself of..."I CAN!" You won't want to miss this final episode in this 3-part series!

You can find Dr. Hallowell on his website www.drhallowell.com for more resources and to check out his fantastic podcast called, "Dr. Hallowell's Wonderful World of Different!"

You can also NOW order SIGNED (personalized with your child's name) copy of my book "Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD" right from my website www.katelynmabry.com

Visit me on IG @journey_with_me_through_adhd or if you are the trusted adult, you can join my FB group called "Journey with Me Through ADHD- Parent Support Group!"

Love all of you and your brilliant brains!

WARNING...This episode is a raw conversation with my two girls who are diagnosed with ADHD combined type. The sound may go up and down with conversation that doesn't fully depict the life we live with ADHD! This episode is a great opportunity to tune in with your kiddos and have them hear other kids openly and shamelessly talking about having ADHD. Sharing struggles but leading with strengths is our model. My girls share at different levels, and it shows the growth that takes place from newly diagnosed to a deeper level of self-awareness and understanding. This will be a lifelong journey of conversations, trial and erroring strategies, with learning/growth and celebration of strengths along the way!

If your child is interested in sharing his or her voice on this podcast, please email me directly at [email protected]

You can also find my book, "Hi It's Me! I have ADHD" on my website www.katelynmabry.com or schedule a free coaching consult call for even more support!

I hope you all have a blessed week! Sending my love and gratitude that each of you have chosen to invite me on your ADHD journey with you!