Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids

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!

Have you ever been told, "sit still," or "can't you just stop moving?" And you think, "my body needs to move!"  If so, you are not alone and I have good news for you...YOU ARE RIGHT!! Your brain was made to move!
This episode will jumpstart our series this month called "Regulating Through Movement." We will start by exploring a super important idea: Movement isn't a distraction- it's actually how the brain helps itself find focus, regulate and feel better.
We will gently reframe our movement experience to shed the shame and shine a light on the benefits of movement. When you feel wiggly, restless, or simply overwhelmed, it's not a sign that something is wrong-it's a signal that your brain and body are trying to work together! 
Get your imagination caps on as we think about it like a shaken up soda bottle. Imagine energy and emotions building up inside the body, just like soda in a shaken bottle. Without a way to release that pressure, it can feel like everything might EXPLODE! Movement helps release that pressure little by little, making it easier to find calm, focus, and stay in control.
Sitting still can feel especially hard for our busy ADHD brains. Movement supports your attention, emotional regulation, and helps you think more clearly by helping the brain organize what's going on inside! 
So let's just get started raising that self-awareness flag and notice your body signals- those early hints like fidgeting, bouncing legs, or restlessness-and start pausing to respond with movement instead of fighting against it. This exercises that self-awareness muscle and builds confidence in understanding what your body needs to succeed.
You will take away simple, accessible ways to move throughtout the day, whether through small movements like stretching and tapping or bigger movements like jumping, dancing or walking!
Key Takeaways:
Movement is NOT a problem-It's a helpful brain tool to pull out of your toolbox.
Feeling wiggly or restless is your body trying to help.
Movement can improve focus, calm big emotions, and organize thinking.
Sitting still can be challenging because the brain may need movement to function well.
Listening to your body's signals is an important skill to exercise,
Small or big movement can both make a difference.
Your brain loves to move. Movement helps you feel better, find focus faster, and be the best version of yourself. 
This episode will empower you to understand your brain/body connection with compassion and curiosity. It will help you replace shame with confidence and see movement as a strength, not a struggle! 
Visit me at www.katelynmabry.com for more resources or to reach out with questions and future episode ideas! I would love to hear from you! Have a blessed day!