Raising an Organized Child

August 5, 2019
Pediatrician and father of five Korb presents a useful and simple-to-follow set of steps for parents to take to foster organizational skills in their children. Kolb provides suggestions and tasks geared to four main age groups—infants, preschoolers (3–5 years), school-age children (5–12), and teenagers—for both parent and child. However, for each age group, the “five steps” remain the same: “be consistent,” “introduce order,” “give everything a place,” “practice forward thinking,” and “promote problem-solving.” Throughout, Korb includes scripts for productive parent-child conversations and skill-developing games geared to different ages. Kolb also traces how, as children advance in age and organizational skills, parental roles change, from “coach” to school-age children to “manager” for middle schoolers, and “consultant” for high schoolers. Kolb’s examples are educational, especially one he shares to illustrate overbearing parenting—that of a couple who gave their high schooler son, on average, five hours of help with homework each night, resulting in disaster when he left the parental umbrella and entered college. Korb thus shows both how adults can help and when and why they need to let “go of control.” The result is a kind, supportive guide that parents and children alike can profit from as they grow together.

May 1, 2019

According to pediatrician Korb (founder, Ctr. for Developing Minds, CA), 80 percent of marriages end in divorce in families with special-needs children. Each week, Korb deals with thousands of youth who struggle with school owing to neurodevelopmental issues, cognitive deficits, language delays, attention dysfunctions, and emotional issues. He considers the homework challenges as well as the financial and time drains on families, believing the best way to prepare your child's brain for adulthood is through teaching organized thinking skills. Korb outlines five steps to raising an organized child: be consistent, introduce order, give everything its place, practice forward thinking, and promote problem solving. Divided into sections for each stage of childhood from infant to teenager, this work includes practical ideas for implementing each of the five steps. VERDICT Parents look to the American Academy of Pediatrics for expert advice and here will find practical and helpful tips for developing executive function in children, whether special needs are present or not.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.