Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids

Do you ever feel like there are snakes in your tummy? Are your thoughts taking you to negative places that leads you to feel like your heart is racing? These are just a few examples of experiencing anxiety. Research shows that kids with ADHD are 3 x more likely to experience anxiety then a "neurotypical" peer.  My personal ADHD life coach, Jessica Heimsoth, joins me on this episode as we talk about what anxiety may look like for you individually and how important it is to first identify it so next steps can be taken towards practicing more calm thoughts. Next week, we will continue with part 2 and Jessica will dive in deeper with what we can do in those moments of anxiety.  Visit Jessica's website for more resources www.everythoughtcaptivecoach.com You can also grab a copy of my book or connect with me on my website www.katelynmabry.com.  

Sleep is so important for our ADHD brains (really for any brain), that we are going to continue to talk about how poor sleep heightens our ADHD struggles, and how good sleep gives us the physical and mental strength we need to take on the challenge of focus, memory, motivation, emotion control, and even anxiety to name a few. My daughter joins us again as she sheds light on her sleep struggles, while giving valuable tools that help. There are many great strategies out there, but today we talk about how daily exercise and nightly structured routines are two steps to try.  Visit www.katelynmabry.com to stay connection and learn more.

You might think..."I don't want to breath!" But what if I told you that it could actually be fun AND give oxygen to your brain, which would help you to calm your mind and body?! During this episode you will hear from the breathing queen, Jessica Brittani, who will introduce  us to a foundational technique, a piece of armor, so we can breath in a way that will help us find calm!  My hint for this episode is "birthday!" ;) (Please forgive the sound differences you will hear...I'm still learning:) You can find Jessica at www.calmandcolorful.com to order her coloring book or set up a consultation with her. You can also visit www.katelynmabry.com to set up a consultation with me, order a book, or find more helpful resources.

It's fun to look in the mirror sometimes and just be silly, it's it? In this episode, you will hear some ideas shared by kids around the world about what they find calms their mind and body down. I personally use exercise and prayer as my ways to release and relax, but what is it for you personally? This is a time for self-reflection as I ask you to look in the mirror and investigate what helps your own mind and body find calm. Visit www.katelynmabry.com to message me to share your ways of finding calm!

We have talked about the importance of sleep and we are discovering ways calm our mind and body down.  During this episode, you will hear from the incredibly talented musician, Bryan Wisda and his son Cale, who also has an amazing ADHD mind. Bryan created a masterpiece of music called " ADHD Lullaby," that is crafted to help our mind and body find calm. It's amazing how music works to help our busy brains in so many wonderful ways!  You can contact Bryan with questions at www.adhdlullaby.com  Visit www.katelynmabry.com for more resources

Does everything we own have a home? Has that candy wrapper on the floor served it's purpose? These are a few things we will be talking about in this episode as we discover WHY it is such a challenge for those of us with ADHD to keep our spaces organized  and HOW we can try a few new things to make a change. Research shows that when our space is decluttered, that helps our brain develop skills more quickly. We crave order, but have a hard time creating it! Let's find out what works for you!! Visit www.katelynmabry.com for more resources.

Do you ever compare yourself to others? I know I do! "This person seems smarter than me, that person makes things look so easy!" This is a dangerous road to go down, because that's exactly what it does, bring you down! In this episode, we will talk about how is can be helpful to compare our own brain to visual examples to self-identify or help others understand; however, we need to watch out for the comparison creep that sneaks behind us and becomes a thief who steals our joy, steals our confidence, and steals our self-worth! All of those things are so important to hold onto! We need to tell that comparison creep to "GO AWAY" so that our joy and confidence in our incredibly unique mind can stay!  Visit www.katelynmabry.com for more resources

Is reading a struggle? If so, this is the episode series for you!  This is the first of a multi-part series, where I interview Elizabeth Hipwell. She is a certified Barton Reading and Spelling Tutor, who specializes in working with kids who have dyslexia. Check out @thedyslexiadigest on Instagram to learn more about our guest. Did you know 30% of kids with ADHD are found to have dyslexia (difficulty with words). You will learn about this unique learning difference and we will begin our journey of finding a love for reading! (Episode hint: audiobooks are a gift) Visit www.katelynmabry.com for more resources    

Sometimes half of the battle, for those of us with ADHD, is getting started! The executive function skill of initiating tasks can often be a struggle and you find yourself paralyzed at the thought of opening a book or shut down to the idea of taking steps needed to actually comprehend what's being read! On this reading journey, we need to simply continue taking steps to find the tools and strategies that feed into the desire of our interest seeking, passion driven brains! In this episode, you will take away a few ways to self-identify where you're at on your personal reading journey and a few steps to take action on. You will hear from a friend of mine in the UK, who is a 9 year old with a brilliant ADHD brain. She shares how reading is a struggle for her and something she does in those moments of struggle! We also talk about growing into interactive readers!  My challenge to you is to try something new this week! Check out  www.katelynmabry.com for more resources. ADDitudemag is another fantastic resource to look into!  https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-reading-comprehension/

Do you ever find yourself reading the same sentence 5 times just to try to catch what's it's actually saying? I know I have done this too many times and it drives me bonkers. In this episode, you will be empowered to celebrate your unique pace of reading and discover a few strategies to become a more interactive reader. I mention using colorful post-it notes...please know that this is simply an exercise to practice the habit of intentional thinking while reading. This can be used during school work to help with comprehension and is a great tool for studying. Find what works best for you! Next week will be the 4th and final part to our series, where we will dive into how reading and writing go hand in hand.  For more resources or to schedule a free consultation you can go to www.katelynmabry.com  

For the final part of this series, we are going to talk about how reading and writing are best friends and how they work together to improve one another! You will hear from our friend Tali from the UK again as she shares her writing experience. Nature is introduced as a fantastic writing tool as research shows the amazing benefits of taking a brain break in the greenery to improve concentration and ignite interest, ideas, and inspiration to both write and read! Journaling is also encouraged to be used as a tool. Any practice makes progress and journaling allows you to read your own writing which highlights patterns of writing and is proven to improve reading fluency! Please note that if you are noticing that your child is struggling to make improvements, there are also other challenges that may need to be addressed. I have included a link to a common additional struggle below. Every child is unique and may need different accommodations. Please message me with any topic ideas or if your child is interested  in doing an audio clip for an episode. Thank you! To learn more about "Dysgraphia" check out...https://www.additudemag.com/what-is-dysgraphia-understanding-common-symptoms/ You can also visit my website at www.katelynmabry.com. Get your name on my email list if you'd like to learn more about upcoming take-away sheets I will be offering in the near future.

Have you ever heard of Imposter Syndrome?! So many of us struggle with it and never knew it had a name! Imposter Syndrome is when we have feelings of self-doubt, insecurities, and fear of being a fraud! These feelings have underlying thoughts that can hold us captive and prevent many from reaching their full potential in life. Often Imposter thoughts lead to giving up too soon, questioning worth, and feeds into perfectionism. In this episode, we will face those Imposter Thoughts head on! Let's identify the thoughts, talk back to the thought, and replace it with that which will build us up and lead in the direction of growth. Gratitude is another powerful tool that can be used. We will hear from three friends who will be sharing their personal imposter thoughts and how they combat them! Let's continue to lay that foundational mindset so that we can grow in so many more areas of struggle and strength! Visit www.katelynmabry.com for more resources or send me a message if your child is interested in having their voice be heard on a future podcast! We are all in this together!  

Have you had a conversation about money and how to manage it? This can be tricky for our ADHD brains sometimes. Our struggle with organization, impulsivity, working memory, and procrastination can cause a need for intentional systems/practices to be put into place in order to grow in this area! In this episode, you will meet mother/daughter duo, Yakini and Reyna from @adhdlove2020, who will share their money managment journey with us. The bottom line is that we need to raise awareness, create a plan together, and use day to day opportunities to practice. You need to find a system and practice that works best for you and your child. Together, we can learn to give, spend, and save in a wiser way!  You can find Yakini @adhdlove2020 on all social media platforms or find merchandise @adhdlove2020.com. Visit www.katelynmabry.com to connect with me about coaching, get your child featured on an episode, or find other resources.

I feel it's safe to say that it's hard for many of us to find contentment in the society with live in. It's especially tricky for those of us with busy, adventure seeking brains!  Spring break in Texas, visiting family, gives this episode a fun twist as you'll hear from my daughter and her two cousins on the topic of contentment! Please use this audio as an opportunity to spark a contentment conversation that will leave you more aware and on the road to finding more joy in those undesirable situations.  Message me @www.katelynmabry.com to learn more about ADHD coaching, or to order a signed copy of my children's book called, " Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD."  Thank you for sharing in this journey with me! I love having you here!!

This episode should have been recorded sooner as I know this topic will resonate with so many who are feeling paralyzed both mentally and emotionally by this Pandemic time period. In this episode you will NOT hear me talk about any political views or really any topic other then the mental and emotional health of your child! This is a great conversation starter as many kids with ADHD struggle in silence because it's hard to put the thoughts and deep emotions into words. There are a few tips to try and words of affirmation shared. Please message me if your child would like to be on my future episodes or if you'd like to share any topic ideas!! We are all on this journey together! Email me at katelynmabry4@gmail.com Visit www.katelynmabry.com  to schedule a coaching session or to order the book "Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD."

NOTE: This episode will be most valuable if an adult and child listen together and maybe even listen in sections and then pause to discuss! AHHH! Is schoolwork a challenge to complete? Do tests feel impossible to study for? If so, you are not alone! In this episode you will meet fellow mama, Julie Catalano, of two ADHD boys, who shares with us her journey and discovery of how her kids learn different and ways to help them in their unique way of learning and retaining information. We talk about the power of partnership between a trusted adult and child, as well as dive into a few fun ways to make studying feel less stressful and more successful!  Here are a few take away points... 1. Connect and collaborate so that it's a team effort to find what strategies work best! 2. Break assignments, study cards, or any sort of work into bite-size, manageable pieces (This needs to be customized to the needs of your child!) When we feel overwhelmed, we shut down. 3. Think in colors! Buy multi-colored post-its, highlighters, or colored pencils to stimulate the brain and sort out important info in a colorful way.  4. Take brain breaks! We did not specifically cover this, but it is super important to get moving in between study times (every 10 min.) Become a scientist as you try one tool at a time as an experiment! Figure out if it works, and if not, make ONE change and try something new! Julie is an Engineer and has a passion for science and math, but an even bigger passion for find what works best for her boys amazingly unique minds! You can find her at www.studytoolsbyjules.com  You can contact me through www.katelynmabry.com if you and your child would like to share your ADHD journey on a future podcast.  You can also find my book for kids called "Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD!" Please message me if you'd like a personalized copy sent!   

One of the first questions my daughter asked me after she learned that she has ADHD was, "mom, do other kids have ADHD too?" To which I replied, "they sure do!" One of the best gifts we can give our kids is to help them know they are not alone by letting them hear that other kids are going through similar struggles and have many strengths! This episode will be a great first step in this direction. You will hear from our 9 year old friend Isaac, who is an incredibly talented baseball player, a math wiz, and lives with an uniquely wired ADHD brain too! He shares his experience from getting diagnosed, through some of his challenges, and even gets goofy with us! Thank you Isaac for being so brave to share your story! Please send a message if you would like your story heard, or have a topic that you would like talked about on a future episode! Visit www.katelynmabry.com to get in touch or find more resources, including my book, " Hi, It's Me! I have ADHD." 

"Mom! I need more fidgets to trade at school!" Are your kids into collecting and trading fidgets too?! Don't let this fad fool you! Fidgeting is not only a form of entertainment, but also holds extra value for those of us with ADHD. That hand/body movement releases two chemicals called, norepinephrine and dopamine! These are chemicals that our mind and body crave to regain focus and maintain concentration! In this fun episode, you will hear from my daughter, Alayna, who shares her fidget stash with you and talks about how the fidgets help her not only mentally, but emotionally as well. We look forwarding to hanging out with you to talk all about fidgets! What's your favorite way to fidget?  Visit www.katelynmabry.com to send a response to this question, give topic ideas, or share your personal journey with us!  

We ALL have an inner script. Those with ADHD have a continual conversation going on inside our heads that can go south fast if we allow it to!! This episode we are going to talk about taking your thoughts captive, seeking evidence, and talking back to those thoughts so that the negative script in your mind can be flipped and truth can reveal positive thoughts. This is a topic that we will keep coming back to from time to time, because your thought life drives actions/behaviors and habits. Practicing mindfulness and learning to manage thoughts will create a foundation for future tools and strategies to be successful, while also growing confidence and self-esteem. I'd love to hear feedback on this topic and please share any questions, comments, or future topic ideas you may have. Please visit me at www.katelynmabry.com    

Please Note: This is a longer episode because it is an interview and it may require a mid-episode brain break or turn it into a two part series to listen to at different times! That is one thing I understand about my brain, that I need tasks broken into smaller parts to find success in completing them! Is this how your brain works too?! In this episode you will hear from ADHD Specialist, Donna Giachino, who also practiced speech and language pathology for 25 years. Donna lives in Vancouver, Canada and was also diagnosed with ADHD later in life. She is now extremely passionate about educating others about understanding their ADHD brains! We discuss how understanding our brains is a foundational key for growth, along with "finding your people" or support system. We also talk about what neurodiversity means and how we can use it to help others understand that all of our brains work differently. Donna shares some great visual analogies in this episode, and you can also find her incredible content that so many learn from and enjoy on her Instagram page @adhd_understood.  Please send me a message on my website, www.katelynmabry.com to share how this podcast has been helpful to your child, to give topic ideas, or to be a future guest on the podcast! We are on this journey together!