Strategies For Your Child Struggling With Executive Functioning in Minnetonka

Do you feel like your living groundhogs day with your child? Do you have to step-by-step explain tasks and routines that you do on a daily basis without your child remembering or initiating the steps on their own? Contact us at our Minnetonka MN chiropractic clinic to learn more.

What Is Executive Functioning In Minnetonka MN?

If you answered yes to those questions, chances are your child is struggling with executive functioning. What is executive functioning? Simply put, it's the ability to plan ahead and do the necessary steps to accomplish the bigger goal at hand. For example when you say "it's time to get ready for school" does your child initiate that whole process and do all the steps required to get out the door on time? Can they stop what they are doing and put on their school clothes, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, put on their shoes and coat, grab their backpack and get in the car? I would imagine it is the same process everyday! Or do you have to help them accomplish every single one of those tasks individually and leave you wondering "why can't they remember this process, it's the same everyday!" Another great example of this is the bedtime routine!

This can be so frustrating as a parent. So why is that happening? Are your kids actually not remembering!? Not exactly! If they are struggling to do the whole process, it's more likely due to their prefrontal cortex not being as engaged as it should be! This is the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning.

This is challenging when it's happening in a toddler and school aged kid but what happens if this doesn't improve and continues (or gets worse) as an adolescent and teenager? This leads to trouble organizing homework, balancing school and sports and friends, and ultimately impulse control issues because they are not able to plan ahead and understand that their current actions have consequences in the future. Not what we want for our kids at all -we actually want the exact opposite right!?

How Does That Happen?

How does that happen? When the brain is operating from their brainstem and in a more sympathetic state (aka fight/flight/freeze), it doesn't allow for the neural pathways to the prefrontal cortex to be strong and persistent. It's not their brains sharpest tool in their toolkit so it's really hard to engage those executive functioning skills.

What can you do that about and get out of groundshog day!? A great short-term and in-the-moment strategy is to create a visual schedule (all pictures and no words) for the routine you want to help your child accomplish! Yes, even for older kids and teens! However, the long term solution is to help your child get out of their brainstem and into their prefrontal cortex! This is what our gentle, neurological adjustments help with!

What does that look like in real life? This looks like your child being able to initiate and complete daily routines like getting ready for school, finishing their homework, and getting ready for bed with minimal help from you! This also looks like improved behaviors and less fighting with you or siblings because they understand that their current actions have consequences (both good and bad)!

Is this something you're interested in helping you child achieve?? Reach out to learn how we do this at Peak Potential with all ages (because yes, this can be much better for your kid or teen!)