The Secret to Raising Organized, Independent Kids

Want to raise independent, self-sufficient kids?

All parents want to know that their kids will be able to survive in this world without them someday...and not only survive, but thrive! That doesn't mean they become someone who never needs help. Rather, it means children are empowered to understand and communicate their needs, strategize, plan, develop self control, maintain healthy relationships, and yes -- ask for help when they need it.

The key to developing this thriving independence may surprise you: Executive Function skills!

✈️ Like an air traffic controller, EF helps our brain filter distractions, control impulses, and prioritize tasks so each "plane" takes off and lands where and when it needs to.

At Curious Cardinals, we want to unlock students’ greatest potential. It makes sense then, to help them learn these crucial skills. That’s why we are thrilled to announce the curriculum we’ve built in collaboration with Canva!🎉

About the Curious Cardinals x Canva Executive Function Course

It's easy to dismiss executive function without realizing just how impactful these skills are for managing your daily life, goals, and dreams.

The thing is, nobody is born with EF skills. They have to be taught! Anyone, from little kids to Fortune 500 execs can struggle with executive function. (Some of us more than others... For example, neurodivergent people, like autistic people, or those with ADHD.)

In our collaboration with Canva, teens will be guided through a fun and thoughtful 10-section course on all things executive function. The curriculum includes plenty of resources like thought activities and printable worksheets.

If you want your child to:

✏️ Schedule their own Curious Cardinals sessions + manage their schedule

⚡️ Manage their own homework + workload without your involvement

🤗 Maintain healthier relationships + communication

📒 Organize + prioritize their own to-do lists

😜 Gain more self-control + learn to better regulate their emotions

...Then you don't want to neglect any opportunity to build your student's EF skills!

You don't have to wait until the course launches 👀

Schedule a call with CC's very own "executive function evangelist" Johnathan Bridges to get your student started with an EF mentorship today!

Thriving with ADHD

I didn’t know I had ADHD till I was 21 years old. I finished my freshman year at Stanford, I had gotten through grades k-12.

I was functioning so well, I had no idea.

How?

I had developed the skills to make it possible to thrive with ADHD! I knew it was harder for me to focus, and my mind was more susceptible to wandering or thinking about something while doing something else, so I had to figure out how to make it work. I learned who I was and what worked for me and adjusted according to my neurodivergent traits. For example...

💡 I know that if I read without a pencil in hand, it’s easy for me to go through 3 pages and ask “What did I just read?!” But when I read diligently, pencil and colored pen in hand, underline specific lines and scribble my insights, I am without a doubt a super reader! Absorbing, retaining and reflecting. 

💡 I know it’s easy for me to drop something, so I have set the mechanisms in place to prevent me from doing so - they’re like my nets that travel with me so if I drop something it falls in my net, not on the ground. (Why I'm an incessant to-do list person!)

I learned early on what works for my brain and built out skills to keep it on track and running efficiently, but not all kids have this advantage. So many parents call us asking for help with executive function. Don’t underestimate the power of empowering your child to work on developing these skills. Whether you're a CC family or not, we hope you enjoy our new curriculum that we developed with Canva.💛💪

This is an adapted version of the Curious Cardinals weekly newsletter. Sign up to get your own here!