Executive Function

The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment of the 1960s showed us that children’s ability to delay gratification predicts future success outcomes. But what exactly is self-control, and how can we measure and understand it in our own children? The ability to resist an immediate temptation in favor of a long-term goal is one of the most important skills for success in academics, relationships, and life in general. Yet self-control isn’t a fixed trait—it’s a trainable cognitive skill that follows predictable patterns and can be systematically improved. By designing simple experiments and tracking your child’s self-control performance, you can gain valuable insights into their executive function development and implement targeted strategies to strengthen their willpower. ...

Ask a child how they solved a math problem or learned to ride a bike, and you might get a blank stare. This isn’t a sign of ignorance—it’s a sign that they haven’t yet developed metacognition, the ability to think about their own thinking. Metacognition is the ultimate cognitive skill: it’s the ability to monitor and regulate our own thought processes, to become aware of how we learn, solve problems, and make decisions. ...

Picture this: It’s a frantic Tuesday morning. You’re juggling making breakfast, finding a missing shoe, and packing a lunch for a 12-year-old who is perfectly capable of doing it themselves but “forgot.” If this scene is uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone in the great modern parenting paradox: we desperately want to raise independent children, yet we find ourselves acting as their personal concierge day after day. The fear is real. If we let go, will they survive on a diet of cereal and YouTube shorts? How do we know when to push and when to support? The answer isn’t found in guesswork or by comparing our kids to others. It’s in data and a clear-eyed understanding of child development. ...