Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids

Hey there! Who was able to do the technology fast alonside my family and I last week!? If you took a break and would like to share how it went, please reach out to me @ www.katelynmabry.com so I can hear about your journey too! If you aren't sure what I am talking about, take a look at episode 252 and consider taking some sort of screen time fast that would fit your family best as a means of resetting and then revisiting what tech time looks like each day...
Meanwhile, have you ever wondered WHY screens feel SO hard to put down? In this episode, we explore a differnt way of thinking about screen time. Sometimes screens aren't just entertainment- they become a safe place when something in life feels difficult! It's super important to raise self-awareness of this truth, so that you can best respond to it!
Using the metaphor of a fort, we will talk about how kids may retreat into screens when they are feeling lonely, socially stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, or trying to avoid difficult emotions. When we can name it, then we can tame it and reframe it! We will also explore whey screens can feel especially comforting for ADHD brains and how curiosity can help us better understand our needs.
Shed any shame of "too much screen time makes me bad" and instead ask, "what is my screen time helping me with right now and how can I respond to it in a different, healthier way!?" 
In this episode, you'll learn: 
Why screens can feel like a safe hiding spot.
How lonliness, stress, and overwhelm can increase screen use
Why ADHD brains are often drawn to screens
Questions to help you understand what your brain really needs
How to build support on and off screens
Key takeaway: The goal isn't to get rid of the fort- it's to make the world outside of the fort feel safer too! 
As you are exploring a new normal with regulating healthy amounts of screen time, make sure you check out our June sponsor, Story Mii @ www.storymii.com where your child's imagination will be brought to life with these AI generated stories!! Creativity is ignited and characters are created to come up with a one of a kind story that your kiddos will fall back in love with reading! And if you have summer reading to do, this is a great tool to use that also has the capacity to create quizzes for comprehension and kids can even interact to build off of each other's story creations!! My kids love it and I know it will ignite a newfound love for reading in your kids too! 
I look forward to being with you next week! Have a blessed day! Love you all!

This coming week, my family is doing something different- We are taking a "technology fast" and we'd love for you to join us! Before you check out, hear us out! This is NOT a punishment, but it IS a gift for your brain! In this episode, we will talk about why screens can be especially tricky for our ADHD brains to regulate, how dopamine plays a role, and what happens when we take a break!
We will share what a tech fast looks like in our home, what we're replacing screentime with, and why the first few days can feel uncomfortable. You will even hear from my son who shares his raw feelings about it all! We will keep the conversation honest, realistic, and completely shame- free.
What you will learn in this episode:
Why ADHD brains love screens
What dopamine withdrawal can feel like
What a technology fast looks like for our family and ways you can customize it to fit your own family!
Screen-free activities to try instead
What to do when it gets hard
Why slipping up doesn't mean you've failed
Kid friendly analogy/reminder:
Taking a break from screens is like letting a sore muscle rest- it may feel uncomfortable at first, but your brain comes back stronger! 
We would LOVE for you to JOIN us!
Try your own version of tech fasting this week and when the fast in over, send a message to share...
What's been hard
What surprised you
What you've done instead of screens
Your tech-fast WINS!
This is not about perfection. It's about giving your brain a chance to breathe, reset, rewire, regulate, reignite deeper creativity and discover new ways to have fun!
As your plan for reintroducing tech time after the fast, make sure to check out our June sponsor's App...StoryMii  www.storymii.com is a brilliant AI story generating program set up to make reading fun for all ages! Is reading a battle in your home too!? With Story Mii, kids can turn their imagination into actual stories that they dream up! With StoryMii, kids don't just read stories, they create their own custome adventures, while using their imaginations to write anything they think of, with unique images that match the story every step of the way!
Story Mii is especially great for kids with busy, creative brains because it makes reading feel fast moving, interactive, and fun! Instead of forcing kids to fit into one way of learning, Story Mii taps into their natural curiosity and imagination to help reading really click! 
They also have exciting features like personalized quizzes, and add chapters to their friends stories, so kids can keep exploring, creating, and learning in ways that match their interest and imagination. It's a science backed reading tool designed to help kids stay engaged, think bigger, and enjoy the learning process while building confidence along the way. 
Ignite a newfound love for reading and story creating with Story Mii!! It will transform your summer reading for sure!! 
Make sure you visit my website at www.katelynmabry.com to sign up for my monthly newsletter, check out my book, or reach out to learn more about 1:1 coaching! We are on this journey together! Have a blessed day! Love you all!

HAPPY JUNE ALL!! Welcome to the beginning of our Summer series! Let me be SUPER clear that I am not promoting more screen time through this series (I am even doing a screen fast to start our Summer off), BUT we will be looking at the ways we can regulate screen time throughout the summer months and use screen time in beneficial ways when/if it is used! 
I am super excited for you to hear from our guest on this episode, Nancy Sun! She is the founder of the incredible app called "StoryMii." She shares all about her personal love for technology and how she came up with this brilliant platform. This science-backed reading platform brings your kids imaginations to life, while also igniting a new love for reading!! StoryMii helps kids become creators instead of just reading, by allowing them to customize thier own adventures with unique images that match their story every step of the way! 
Your busy, creative, ADHD brains will be lit up by this app in the most positive ways. It is interactive, fast moving, and fun!!! Instead of forcing one style of learning, the platform taps into curiosity, imagination, and creativity to help reading finally click!
You will love to hear all of the updates StoryMii has made since her last episode with us a year ago! 
Creativity supports confidence and learning to read
Personalized storytelling helps kids stay engaged
There are interactive features like quizzes
You have the ability to add friends and share stories
There are so many ways StoryMii encourages you to think bigger and enjoy the learning process.
This is a fabulous tool for those Summer months with down time, road trips, and a desire to keep the skill of reading alive and active! If you love adventure, storytelling, creativity, or making imaginative worlds of your own, this is an espisode you will love in every way!
You can learn more about our June podcast sponsor, StoryMii @ www.storymii.com .  Gain a month of free access through their website by using the code, "adhdjourney." This is a great opportunity to check it and see if it's a helpful, fun reading tool for your family! 
Sign up for my newsletter @ www.katelynmabry.com so that we can stay in touch and I can share upcoming episode and more resources!!

AHHH! We made it to episode 250 and I could not be more grateful for each of you to be listening and coming back each week so that we can be on this ADHD together!!
Guess what!? Not everybody feels better doing the same kind of movement and that's completely OKAY! That's why it's so important for you to listen to this episode of our Regulation Through Movement series, where we explore how different types of movement help different brains find calm, focus, and become regulated. Some kids like fast movement like running or dancing, while others feel best with slow stretching, swinging, walking, or quiet solo movement. There is no "right" way to move your body. 
In this episode, you will also learn how to notice what kind of movement helps your mind, body, and emotions feel better, while giving yourself permission to try new moves too! 
This episode also encourages you to become that detective as you get curious about...
Fast vs slow movement
Solo (on your own) vs. movement with others
Big energy activities vs. calming movements
How movement changes how your body and brain feels
Find what works for YOU!
Key Take away: The best movement is the movement that helps YOU feel better overall! You do not have to move like everyone else. Your body is allowed to like what it likes! Let's build that unconditional confidence and name what works best for you! 
I would absolutely LOVE to hear from you! Visit my website www.katelynmabry.com to sign up for my newsletter, check out resources or reach out with future episode ideas! Love and appreciate each of you!!!

Did you know that sometimes the best reset is as simple as stepping outside!? It's true! How cool is that for me and you! 
In this episode of the regulation through movement series, we will explore how fresh air, nature, movement, and open space can help our ADHD brains find calm, feel more clear and more focused. You will learn that when your brain feels busy, overwhelmed, wiggly, or stuck, outside time can help your nervous system reset and recharge.
Using the idea that "outside time helps your brain breath and reset," we talk about how even a few minutes outdoors can make a world of difference! We also use a fun metaphor that with help you understand: just like phones need to recharge when their battery is low- outside time is like plugging your brain back in! 
Key messages to lean into:
Exploring how nature and fresh air can help the body and brain find calm.
Outdoor movement can improve focus and emotions.
Gamifying outside time, like naming the sounds that you hear in nuture!
There are so many simple ways to get outside: Take a walk, run around house, swing, shoot hoops, sit in the sunshine, run, jump and stretch as you use your imagination with what you have outside!
Pairing movement with fun helps regulation feel easier and more natural!
Key Takeaway: 
Outside time isn't extra- it's a support for your brain and body that is a neccessity to thrive with a busy brain each day.
This episode is a great reminder that you don't need to stay stuck when you feel overwhelmed. Sometimes the reset you need is waiting right outside the door! 
I would love to hear from you at www.katelynmabry.com and for you to gain more resources! Love you all and appreciate you being here! Have a blessed day!