Posted on 08/10/2021
In Part 2 of this series, we discussed what executive function skills are and why they're important. We also gave a breakdown of the 11 or 12 key executive skills and how they translate into success in school and beyond. As you begin to track your child's weaknesses and recognize specific functions that need improvement, you're probably noticing that you could use help in some of them too. While this might make it seem as if you're not the best person to help your child along, the opposite is actually true: you're the perfect person to help guide your child! The kind of growth mindset and flexibility you'll be able to model for your child is worth its weight in gold, as he or she aims for progress with you as coach, teammate, and cheerleader - all in one.
Modeling and Expressing Your Journey
It may feel kind of vulnerable at first, but it's important to be honest with your child about your own weaknesses and how you compensate for them. For instance, maybe you recognize that you lack natural Organization skills or Working Memory, so you tend to forget where you put important items, such as your keys and wallet; maybe you allow for that by forcing yourself to place them in the same basket on the counter every day. Or maybe you lose track of time (a deficit in Time Management), so you set timers for yourself as reminders for important tasks. By explaining and modeling your own strategies, you'll help your child realize that we all have our weaknesses. When he or she watches you and starts to develop his or her own strategies, you're encouraging Task Initiation, along with whatever other skills you're working on.
Focusing on One at a Time
If you do struggle with various executive skills yourself, trying to focus on 11 different skills your child needs can seem especially daunting; that's one reason we recommend working on one at a time. But there's another reason, too. When you highlight everything, it's as if you highlight nothing. Especially for someone with weak executive skills, you want to make one skill your focus for a certain timeframe. Some studies show that 21 days makes something a habit, so you want to give each skill at least a solid month to take root. If you break that down, you'll be able to work on each skill category in a year if you emphasize each one during a given month.
Like every teacher in every classroom knows, repetition paired with multiple pathways is key to cementing any concept or skill. So once you choose a specific executive skill area for the month, maybe you could create some art together and make a poster that showcases it. You can memorize a definition and make it a daily routine to recite it together, as well as to discuss any progression or regression you're both experiencing. And remember, when the month is over, you probably won't have mastered this skill, but hopefully you'll both be a few steps further along on your journey.
In Part 4, we'll look at some specific tasks that can help demonstrate each of the executive function skills as well as some resources for taking your EF instruction and practice to the next level.
The Bedroom Source
Located near the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, The Bedroom Source is your source for the best collection of children's and teen bedroom furniture. From flexibly configurable Maxtrix furniture to fashionable American-made collections, The Bedroom Source offers high end furniture and professional design assistance to create the bedroom of your child's dreams.
Contact the friendly staff at The Bedroom Source by calling (516) 248-0600 or by submitting our online contact form. We're a local family owned mom & pop store. When you shop with us, you're dealing directly with the owners. We professionally assemble everything we sell. We deliver to Nassau, Suffolk, the 5 Boroughs, Southern Westchester, Southwestern Connecticut & Northern New Jersey.