Are your kids junk-food junkies or excellent eaters? Are they active or couch potatoes? Likely, they fall somewhere in between, and that’s okay. But we all want to help our kids learn how to be healthy adults, and sometimes, that just takes a little extra work on our part.
Your kids’ good choices begin with you, and a little practical modeling can go a long way towards positive results. Bryan Wisda & ADHD Lullaby wants your family to be healthy and happy, so let's look at some tips to help your family flourish.
Start teaching
When you teach your children how to cook and how to plan meals, work on teaching them about nutrition. Go online with your kids and research what they each need in their diets. Then work on how to adjust your meals.
Keep in mind that if kids have more choices in what they eat, they are less likely to refuse to eat or sneak food, which can lead to binge eating later in life. It can also help to have them select the veggies you buy—consider having each child pick one new vegetable per shopping trip. They’ll be more likely to try something they chose than something thrust upon them.
Then when it’s time to prep meals, have them help! They can use a kitchen scale to help measure out portions so there’s enough for everyone and to avoid overeating. You can even stream cooking shows or video games to inspire meals you make together. With an appropriately-priced computer and a high-powered connection, you can have the whole family cooking up a storm together!
Be active
Start doing active things as a family, such as hiking, biking, skiing, playing in the backyard, and more. And find a workout that you can do solo, then get into a routine and stick to it. Use a fitness app to track your goals and stay motivated. When achy joints and sore muscles get in the way of your regimen, schedule chiropractic care.
The more active and dedicated you are, the more active and dedicated your kids will be. If they see mom training for a mini-marathon and dad going on nightly walks, they’ll see that fitness is an important part of every day. Bring them along to train with you sometimes, or plan to run/walk a 5K as a family. It’s good for their bodies, and it’s wonderful bonding time for your family.
Of course, getting all of the gear and clothing you need to develop a healthy routine costs money, but it doesn’t have to completely wreck your budget. For example, if you shop at Kohl’s for your exercise outfits, you can use coupons and cash back offers to help make these items more affordable.
Make hygiene a priority
Whether it’s brushing your teeth, bathing, or keeping yourself groomed, maintaining your hygiene is an important behavior to model. Especially if you want your kids to start out with good habits. By starting young, you can build a foundation for your child so they know the importance of good oral health, why they should wash their hands, take baths, and why it’s important to brush and comb our hair.
It’s also a good idea to take your children to the dentist regularly; most dentists recommend a checkup up twice a year. It’s always best to look for a dentist that is conveniently located and makes your kid's feel comfortable.
Do a safety check
Go through your belongings and make sure you put up anything hazardous to children; Parents.com notes some items, like dishwashers and latex balloons, can be surprisingly dangerous. It’s a good idea to do this regularly because our hectic lives leave constant changes in our environments. The safer your home, the less you’ll have to worry about. With older kids, discuss why you make the decisions you do and enlist their help in keeping their younger siblings safe.
Kids can learn to live healthy lives along with their parents, and the whole family can begin to model healthy behaviors. Don’t demand that your kids never touch sugar or insist on them being on a strict diet their whole lives. That just paves the way for problems down the road. Teaching your kids moderation and the reasons behind your actions can help them stay fit and healthy throughout their lives.
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Please consider supporting Bryan Wisda and ADHD Lullaby on his mission to make music for people with ADHD. Check out his Patreon page! Supporters at the Patron level receive a free annual subscription to ADHD Lifestyle Magazine.
]]>My newest single Tranquil releases worldwide on January 1, 2021. This song was recorded specifically for adults with ADHD to help them relax and fall asleep. To download a copy of the song or play it on your favorite music streaming service visit bstlnk.to/tranquil-bryan-wisda
The story behind Tranquil is an interesting one. Earlier in 2020, I started live streaming every week playing live music in the style of ADHD Lullaby. The songs I play aren't the same songs as those on my albums but rather a combination of songs I wrote specifically for live streaming and several covers. Most everything I play on the live streams is based on playing a rhythmic piece into a looper and then playing lead over the top of the rhythmic piece.
In case you're wondering a looper is basically a digital recorder which will play on repeat a piece of music played into it. This is a common practice amongst solo (no band) guitarists to create a rhythm part to play along with.
One of the songs I wrote to play live was based on using a piece of audio equipment known as volume swell. Into the looper I would play two sequential B notes one octave apart using the volume swell. Once that was in the looper I play two sequential E notes one octave part, without volume swell, at the start of the B volume swells. This creates a really nice gentle and peaceful rhythmic part to play lead over the top of.
After several weeks of playing this (and I still play it today every week) I noticed that a lot of people really liked the feel of the song and told me it was one of their favorites each week. So I thought I should probably record the song.
When I recorded it the basic principles of the song stayed in tact. But for the recorded version I added a few parts other than just my electric guitar. I added some orchestral instruments, a bass guitar, and a piano. These additions I think filled out the song very nicely.
In recording the song I decided to set the tempo of the song to the average sleeping heart of an adult listener, versus a kid's sleeping heart rate which is much faster. The intention here is to help an adult with ADHD get to sleep faster.
The recording and mixing of the song was done in my studio. With the song completed, I elected to send the song out to a 3rd party engineer to have the song mastered. Typically, I master all my own work but in this case I felt it would be best served to have another set of ears listen to it and tweak it ever so slightly for commercial release. The mastering engineer I ultimately hired to do the job is Brian Lucey, a Grammy winning mastering engineer who has worked on numerous projects including the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman and Cats.
I elected to name the song Tranquil because it creates such a peaceful feeling in the listener.
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One of the challenges of dedicating time to making music for the ADHD community is finding the time to write, record, and produce new music. Because I don't have a huge record label behind me a lot of my time (and the revenue produced by my music) goes into marketing ADHD Lullaby and the rest of my music.
To combat this challenge I have decided to create a Patreon page. Patreon is a website which facilitates fans/supporters assisting creators and in return the supporters get some pretty cool perks. With a large enough base of supporters the creator is then freed from some of the financial constraints of needing to continually bring in new revenue to sustain themselves.
More than just creating a conduit to support a creator, Patreon has made it very easy for the creator to create a community and offer value to his/her supporters.
In launching my Patreon page I wanted to offer a simple way for people passionate about the ADHD community to support me. Subsequently, I set up a base tier of a $1 monthly subscription in return for which you’ll have access to all my music both released and unreleased in a digital format plus private Live Stream events. I added some more tiers with some more perks too including the ability to musically collaborate on a song with me.
Thank you in advance for supporting me. I absolutely love creating music for the ADHD community and your support allows me to focus more of my time and energy on exactly that.
God Bless,
Bryan Wisda
On Friday, July 31, 2020, I released an instrumental cover of the iconic song Hey Jude by The Beatles.
When I first started out to record this song I wasn't thinking about recording a cover of Hey Jude at all. My goal was to record a song to help the listener with ADHD focus or concentrate.
To accomplish this I needed to record a song slightly divergent from ADHD Lullaby which was recorded specifically to help children ages 6-13 fall asleep faster. ADHD Lullaby works by combining rhythmic and non-rhythmic (random) elements with 3 very specific frequencies used in neuroscience; the combination of this overloads the ADHD mind's ability to process information and thus allows the body to relax and fall asleep.
With Hey Jude the focus of the song however is to allow the listener to focus and as such the utilization of non-rhythmic (random) elements was not appropriate. Instead I wanted to record a song that was both engaging and forgettable. So I choose Hey Jude because it is one of the most recognizable songs of all time -- the first 2 notes give the song away. Additionally, Hey Jude has a driving rhythm with sweet melodic components. This coupled with several specific frequencies used in neuroscience which help people concentrate creates a wonderful song capable of helping people with ADHD of all ages focus or concentrate.
It is a great song to be added to a homework playlist, office work playlist, or any playlist one would listen to while they are doing any type of work. I would not add it to a playlist to you listen to while reading or studying information.
The song is available on all music streaming services worldwide. To listen to the song on your favorite music platform go to: https://hypeddit.com/link/1s8exx
I also, with the help of a very close friend, released an Official Music Video to coincide with my release of Hey Jude. To watch the music video go to: https://youtu.be/a92iHTkWYjk.
I hope you enjoy my version of Hey Jude.
All the best,
Bryan Wisda
I posted on Facebook the following question, “WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM ANOTHER PARENT OF A CHILD WITH ADHD?” Below are the 39 Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD I got from my Facebook Followers. #37 is a phenomenal bit of advice for a child with ADHD. #10 will blow your mind. Here they are:
39 Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD
I want to thank each parent who shared a little bit of their world. When my wife and I were first getting our arms around how to best help our child we found other parents and leaned on them for advice.
]]>ADHD Lullaby a Billboard Magazine Top 10 Album for 2019
It has been an amazing year in 2019 for ADHD Lullaby™ and a little bit surreal at the same time.
The album ADHD Lullaby was released February 15, 2019. Barely two weeks later the album became the Number 1 New Release on Amazon.com in the Children’s Lullaby category. Then in July 2019 the album debuted on the Billboard Charts in the New Age Album category. It remained on the Billboard Charts for 23 consecutive weeks in the New Age Album category.
Today, December 24, 2019, Billboard Magazine released it’s 2019 Year End Charts. Both ADHD Lullaby and Bryan Wisda were rated on the year end charts.
– ADHD Lullaby a Billboard Magazine Top 10 Album for 2019 in the New Age Album category
https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/new-age-albums
– Bryan Wisda was also rated a Billboard Magazine Top 10 Artist for 2019 in the New Age Album Artist category.
https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/new-age-albums-artists
It is pretty amazing what this album has accomplished in 2019. This album was released without the help of a major record label; the success of the album is largely due to parents sharing the story of ADHD Lullaby with other parents. We have big plans for 2020 including releasing a 25 minute single for adults to help capture a ‘power nap’ and plans for a full length album to help adults with ADHD fall asleep at night.
]]>This past week, ADHD Lullaby™ debuts on the Billboard Charts at #5 in the New Age Genre the week of July 13, 2019. This is very exciting news for me and all those who helped ADHD Lullaby™ become a reality. This is a testament to how effective the album is in helping children with ADHD get to sleep at night and stay asleep through the night. I truly feel as though this album is changing the lives of thousands of kids with ADHD. This is apparent in reaching the Billboard Charts and the hundreds of testimonials the album has received since its release in February 2019.
Making it onto the Billboard Charts for the first time is a huge accomplishment for any artist, composer, or professional musician — it is especially a huge accomplishment when done without the backing of a major record label. ADHD Lullaby™ and I are considered independent in that I am not signed with a major music industry record label.
ADHD Lullaby™ was released worldwide on February 15, 2019 and has since experience phenomenal results. It is available on all major music streaming platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Google Play. It is also available as a digital download from iTunes and CD Baby as well as on compact disc from ADHDLullaby.com and CD Baby.
In addition to reaching the Billboard Charts, ADHD Lullaby™ was the #1 New Release in the Children’s Lullabies category for March, April, and May 2019 on Amazon.com. Additionally, the album continues to rank in the Top 10 on Amazon.com in the New Age Genre and Children’s Lullabies Genre.
Again, I want to express my thanks to all those who have helped make this happen and express my thanks to the thousands of parents who have used ADHD Lullaby™ in their homes.
Thank you and God Bless,
Bryan Wisda
Recently the mother of a newly diagnosed ADHD child send me a direct message on Facebook asking for help in answering her questions. She told me she didn’t know who to turn to when she had questions. Obviously I told her she could ask me questions whenever she wanted and I would do my best to help. When she sent me this message it got me thinking. From this thought I posted a simple question on a ADHD support group on Facebook and asked the question, “WHAT IS YOUR #1 TIP FOR A PARENT OF A NEWLY DIAGNOSED ADHD CHILD?”
Below are 277 responses from actual parents of ADHD children. Some of the responses will make you laugh while others will make you cry. The bottom line is, this is a comprehensive list of some awesome advice.
To all the parents who responded to my question, THANK YOU! Your response is helping other parents tremendously.
When my wife and I were first trying to figure out why our son was different we didn’t know who to turn to for help. Obviously we went to doctors for help and ultimately figured out our son had ADHD but we didn’t have a ADHD Support Network of other parents we could call and ask questions.
The old saying of “it takes a village to raise a child” is so incredibly true. This is especially true if you child has ADHD.
Unfortunately when we first learned our child had ADHD we were skeptical about telling other parents. Not because we were ashamed by our son, but rather we didn’t want our son to be treated differently. We quietly told the school our son has ADHD and sat down with his teachers but we didn’t blurt out to the world he has ADHD. However, we really didn’t share with the world he has ADHD until the news vans pulled up to our house to interview us for the ADHD Lullaby™ album release in February 2019. It took us at least 4 years to tell people outside our close friends and family. What we should have done is created an ADHD support network by telling our friends our son has ADHD. Outside of 1 or 2 people we met along the way we were pretty quiet about it.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” One parent recently wrote me on Instagram saying, “I don’t really have any other parents that I can go to for advice…” This is a woman who purchased a copy of ADHD Lullaby to help her son sleep and subsequently asked me, a parent she has never met in person, for advice. I am not faulting her in the slightest for asking me questions. I understand her consternation.
Fortunately there are a lot of resources out there for parents of ADHD children. There are blogs like, Mothering the Storm, we can read for insight. Facebook has hundreds, if not thousands, of ADHD Support Network groups we can join for free. Instagram has some phenomenal people on it who will do just about anything to help you succeed; one of my personal favorites is @CrushingADHD. ADHD Coaches are in just about every major city in the United States — all you have to do is type ADHD Coach into Google. At the end of the day nothing beats finding a few parents, whether they are friends of yours or not, who have ADHD kids older than yours who you can call for advice. We as parents have to ask for help. We have to create our own ADHD support network.
That all said, if you are parent to an ADHD child and you do not have an ADHD support network can turn to please send me an email. I will respond and help you.
]]>ADHD Lullaby was released on February 15, 2019 worldwide. In just under a month thousands of parents have used the album to help their ADHD child get to sleep faster. The album has been streamed thousands of times. Amazon has even rated ADHD Lullaby the #1 New Release in Children’s Lullabies. Resoundingly, parents love ADHD Lullaby!
In this short period of time nearly 100 parents, from all over the world, have provided feedback. They have posted on social media, posted on Amazon, posted on iTunes, sent me direct messages, and sent emails. Almost every review has been positive. Parents are reporting their children are getting to sleep faster. Even adults are using the album to help them relax, fall asleep, and even focus. The only negative review I’ve received so far has attributed the album not working to a power struggle on the part of the child not wanting to go to sleep.
One of my favorite reviews came from Taylor Waltrip as an Amazon review. She said, “We’ve been using ADHD Lullaby for 3 weeks and we’ve only had 1 hard night. I’d say that’s a win in my mom book!”
I’ll say it again, parents love ADHD Lullaby! Why? Because their children are getting the sleep they need and parents are getting their evenings back. It is such a relief when your child starts going to sleep quickly. I know. My wife and I would spend hours trying to get Cale to sleep. I hope every parent who tries ADHD Lullaby has the results we did and so many parents are reporting back to me. I know this is not a miracle for every child as much as I want it to be. Nonetheless, it is amazing to hear the rate of success the album is having.
I appreciate every parent who has sent feedback! ADHD Lullaby does not have the backing of a major record label like Sony or Columbia Records. When parents share the story of ADHD Lullaby and the success they are having with the album it goes a long way in helping to spread the word.
]]>Early tonight I found out ADHD Lullaby™ has become the #1 New Release in the Children’s Lullabies category on Amazon.
This is very big news for ADHD Lullaby™ as it goes to show this album is very effective at helping children with ADHD who struggle with sleep. It also shows that parents are sharing the story of the album and its effectiveness with other parents. There is not some huge Hollywood or Nashville record label standing behind ADHD Lullaby™ pumping money into marketing. The vast majority of parents who discover this album will hear about it from another parent.
It is such an amazing event when a child with ADHD who struggles with sleep finally starts getting the sleep they need. The benefits are countless …health, happiness, attitude, etc. It also helps us as parents. We get to spend some additional time in the evening relaxing and spending time with our spouse or significant other. This is crucial time for us as parents and gaining a portion of your evening back when an ADHD child falls asleep fast is nothing short of miraculous.
Again, thank you to everyone who has purchased or streamed the album. I am glad to know it is helping your child get to sleep faster. And thank you for sharing the story of this album with other parents.
]]>Guest Post by: Lindsay Bohlinger (http://elevatedgiftedness.com)
Does the thought of sitting down with your ADHD student to do homework give you a pit in your stomach? It’s totally normal to feel that way because your student is unique and it can be difficult to know where to start and how to support your child’s unique learning needs.
Just like every child, we want to make sure are able to help them feel successful in their school work at home while still remaining in a loving, supportive parent role. It’s a daunting task to feel like you are parenting well and helping your child grow into the potential you know they have. Today I want to share a few tips on how to help your ADHD student at home with their school work and help them develop their strengths as a student.
These scores and understanding what they mean will help you find ways at home to help your child with their work at home.
This is just to get you started. I would also encourage you to join other parenting groups of gifted and ADHD parents because it is helpful to gain more insight into what they have done with their child at home to help them feel supported and successful at home while working on school work.
BRYAN WISDA’s NOTE: I had the unique opportunity to meet Lindsay on Instagram. She is a passionate and caring person. She is also quite an accomplished Special Education Teacher in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area. Lindsay has a Masters in Special Education and is currently a PhD candidate in Special Education. She is doing phenomenal work helping children who are ADHD, 2E, Autistic, and Gifted by working as an advocate to help these children get the support they need from the schools and school districts. She is an outstanding resource. Please consider reaching out to her individually if you child needs help and you are encountering roadblocks. Lindsay can be reached through her website Elevated Giftedness.
]]>ADHD Lullaby™ is a unique album which uses neuroscience to help kids with ADHD fall asleep faster and stay asleep through the night. But does ADHD Lullaby work adults with ADHD? This is probably the most common question I receive about the album.
The short answer is, it is not intended to work for adults. ADHD Lullaby is intended for children ages six to thirteen.
The reason why stems from average sleep heart rates. The average sleeping heart rate for kids age 6-11 and out to 13 is 75.6 beats per minute. Where as the average sleeping heart rate of an post-puberty adult is approximately 60 beats per minute. The music in ADHD Lullaby is designed to help bring the homeostasis of the child down to sleeping levels. Bringing an adult’s heart rate down to the 76 beats per minute is likely to have little effect on their ability to sleep because this heart rate is likely faster than their sleeping homeostasis.
When asked, does ADHD Lullaby work for adults I usually answer that the adult listener will only likely find the music relaxing. That said however, I have had more than a few adults send me reviews and messages saying it worked great for them. Others have said it only zoned them out but didn’t lull them to sleep. I guess the answer to the question, does ADHD Lullaby work for adults, is it depends.
My hope is to release an adult version of ADHD Lullaby late in 2019 or early 2020. If you you are interested in the adult version please follow me on social media and/or subscribe to the email newsletter.
To purchase a copy of the children’s version (current version) of ADHD Lullaby click here!
UPDATE March 15, 2020: Over the past year, I have received numerous reviews from adults who are successfully using ADHD Lullaby to help them get to sleep. While the album was created specifically for a certain age group of children with ADHD many others are experiencing awesome results. The best advice I can give you is TRY IT.
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