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Executive Functions

Executive Functions

How can you stimulate the development of children's executive functions in the home context?

“Hey, his shoes are in the middle of the hallway again.”

“Why does she always forget the last thing I said?”

“Is it so hard for him to look left and right before crossing the street?”

Perhaps these statements or thoughts sound familiar to you. Your child still struggles to control their behavior, leaves things lying around, is often slow to get ready… It could be that someof their executive functions are not yet fully developed.

Don’t worry! Below, we briefly explain what executive functions are and offer some tips to help strengthen these skills.

What are executive functions?

Executive functions (EF) are mental processes that influence your behavior, thoughts and emotions. You need them to display focused, purposeful and socially appropriate behavior at school, at home or at work.They also contribute to the cognitive, social and psychological development of your child.

There are three core executive functions :

  1. Impulse control: the ability to think before acting and to suppress irrelevant stimuli. For example, looking before crossing the street.
  2. Working memory: helps you temporarily hold and process information so that you can use it for complex tasks. For example, remembering which groceries you need to buy.
  3. Cognitive flexibility: the skill to adapt to changing circumstances. For example, adjusting your plans if you can’t go to the playground because it’s raining

In addition to these three core functions, there are other executive functions such as planning and organizing, initiating a task, sustaining attention, time management, emotional regulation, and metacognition (reflecting on and evaluating your actions).

Executive functions continue to develop throughout childhood. Not only brain development but also the (home) environment play a role. This means that, as a parent, you can positively influence the development of your child’s executive functions — especially considering that most executive functions are not fully developed until young adulthood.

What can you do at home to stimulate executive functions?

  • Let children do what they can do themselves. Don't take over tasks. If they can't do something yet, teach them how. Support them without doing it for them. If they can do it, let them handle it independently. They don't need their parents for everything. Too much support prevents learning; too little leaves them unable to succeed. [Read more about this in the blog about positive discipline .]
  • Let a child experience things for themselves. Never intervene between a child and their experience. Give them the necessary autonomy, let them make decisions whenever possible, but also let them face the consequences of their choices.
  • Give children responsibilities at home. Assign household tasks, let the children plan their hobbies and schoolwork independently, and encourage problem-solving skills. Don't give the solution, but let them explore, experiment, and learn from mistakes.
  • Engage in activities that strengthen multiple executive functions: Practicing sports, especially traditional martial arts, creative arts (drawing, crafts, music, theater, etc.), pretend play and role-playing (especially for younger children)
  • There are many (board) games that challenge different EFs such as SmartGames, Jenga, Brainbox games, Speed cups, Uno, memory, "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking with me...", Simon says/Command games.
  • Use different reading strategies, for example: take turns reading, listen to a story without showing pictures, reflect together on the story…
  • Involve your child in chores. Model tasks by doing them together (cooking, cleaning, caring for pets, tidying up...).
  • Let your child help you go grocery shopping: keep track of items already in the cart, calculate how much the groceries cost, find the most efficient route through the store…
  • Address impulsive behavior: Discuss the behavior, its consequences for others, and identify desired behavior. Use a visible stop signal if helpful. For young children, a rhyme can assist: “Stop, I think before I continue.
  • Break tasks into small steps. Instead of “Go upstairs and bring your school bag, socks and Lego”, give single, clear instructions. Have your child repeat the instructions to ensure understanding.
  • Use visual aids such as post-its with the tasks the child has to do in a visible place.
  • Use a daily schedule or calendar for predictability. This makes it clearer what is going to happen that day or week. Hang this in a central place in the house and plan fixed times to go over it with your child.
  • Prepare for changes: If an outing or activity is cancelled, first state what will happen, then what will not.
  • Allow transition time between two activities: Give a five-minute warning before ending an activity, e.g., stopping to play and cleaning up.
  • Make time visual by using a time-timer to help your child see how much time is left. You can also use an alarm or hourglass.
  • If your child has trouble keeping track, you can use a checklist or (visual) step-by-step plan. Cross out (together) each completed task or use a moving arrow for routines like morning and evening rituals.
  • Limit homework duration: Provide sufficient breaks and alternate between different types of tasks, such as a math assignment first and then a reading assignment.
  • When your child experiences strong emotions, stay calm and try not to get caught up in your child's emotions. Acknowledge their feelings while clearly setting boundaries for acceptable behavior. Provide a safe and quiet place in the house where your child can calm down.

Is it still difficult?

If you notice that your child is experiencing significant or persistent difficulties in several of these areas, it may be time to seek professional support.

Contact Us

Want to know more?

Below you will find some interesting websites and books:

Sources

Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2022). Executive functions in children and adolescents: a practical guide to assessment and intervention . Hogrefe Publishers.

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64 , 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Diamond, A. (2024, July 15). How to sharpen executive functions: activities to hone brain skills . ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-improve-executive-function-adhd/?ecd=wnl_additude_240717_cons_adhd_school&goal=0_d9446392d6-e928b80f3a-321894834

Feryn, S. (2019). Put on your EF glasses: Stimulate the executive functions of your toddlers . Die Keure.

Horeweg, A. (2021). Handbook of behavior at school: part 1. Publisher Pica.

Vandenbroucke, L., Verschueren, K., Desoete, A., Aunio, P., Ghesquière, P., & Baeyens, D. (2018). Crossing the bridge to elementary school: The development of children's working memory components in relation to teacher-student relationships and academic achievement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42 , 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.08.004

This blog was written by our clinical educationalists Elise Baijot and Marijke Geurts.

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