Day: September 26, 2024

One way to develop executive functioning skills that is very practical is by combining chores and executive functioning skills. Engaging in chores can be an effective learning tool for young people. In a recent post we highlighted Age-Appropriate Chores, demonstrating which chores are appropriate for certain aged children. Today we are going to focus on chores and executive functioning skills. Engaging in chores can be a great way for teens to work on their executive functioning skills. We wanted to highlight how chores foster executive functioning skills in teens. Insert your email address in the field below to receive your free handout.

Check out our resource on IADLs because this is a good place to start when it comes to doing those “chore” tasks that we all need to do to live functioning lives.

What are executive functioning skills?

Executive function refers to a cognitive process that helps with planning, initiation of tasks, organizing, managing time, problem solving, and self-regulation. Many adults and teens with ADHD have difficulty with executive dysfunction.  This translates into weak prioritization skills, time blindness, and an inability to orchestrate concurrent tasks.

Many adults with executive functioning challenges struggle with chores and the daily tasks that need done around the home.

This is all critical for managing daily life, and even the simplest of tasks. Check out this post on Executive Function Disorder.

CHORES AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

To make it easier to understand the role of chores and executive functioning skills, we can break EF down into the components, and analyze how chores can foster these skills.

For example, we love to use cooking to support executive function development. This is a great way to work on the underlying cognition skills.

TASK INITIATION in Chores

When working on chores and executive functioning skills, think about how difficult task initiation can be.

Many people, not just teens have difficulty with task initiation and follow-through. Here is one of my previous posts on Task Initiation Strategies. This information can easily carry over to teens.  In this article on how to teach task initiation, you can explore how to teach task initiation to children and teens who need their strategies a little more play based.

Procrastinators in particular struggle with task initiation. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Having a list of chores and responsibilities helps foster task-initiation when there are deadlines and expectations involved. You can help your teen by setting realistic goals, helping them break the task down into chunks if needed, create visuals or lists, and do specific task teaching. Our resource on breaking down goals is a great place to start with this strategy.

For an example, you can look at the task of sweeping a floor. To help with task initiation, you might:

• First remove things from the floor like furniture or other items.
• Next, get the broom and dustpan.
• Then, you can divide the room into smaller sections to do one section at a time.

Just getting started is the biggest hurdle for many people. So, having some planning and organization processes in place can help to get this chore done.

PLANNING in Chores

Planning for chores is another executive functioning skill necessary for success. Sometimes planning for a chore can be the hardest part. People do not know where to begin. Help them by providing, or encouraging them to make checklists of supplies, steps involved, and the standards they need to meet. For example, when it comes to sweeping a floor, you can break down the task and make sure that there are certain steps that are met before you move onto the next step…

• Going back to our sweeping the floor example, you can plan to sweep every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Teach with different methods such as chunking and backward chaining. These are good ways to help with improving working memory in tasks like chores.

PROBLEM SOLVING in Chores

Part of planning and executive functioning may be preparing for “what ifs” and obstacles.  A sudden obstacle can derail any task, making it difficult for you to complete the task.  When planning, try and talk through any obstacles that might come about when completing a certain chore.

Example: Vacuuming – what if you go into a room and there is stuff all over the floor?  What if you get so far and the cord will not reach? Do you know how to empty the vacuum if it gets full? How are you going to manage your time if you want to vacuum and someone does not want to be disturbed?

With our sweeping the floor example, another part of problem solving is remembering which areas of the floor have already been swept and which areas still need attention.

TIME MANAGEMENT and Chores

My article on procrastination highlighted the reasons people procrastinate and the downfall of putting off tasks. Some people suffer from time blindness. They have no sense of how much time has elapsed. People who tend to procrastinate or be time blind, can benefit from timers, setting enough time aside for the task, and limiting multi-tasking.

Chores are a great way to practice time management. Help your teen determine how much time the task should take, and when they should get started/finished. Practicing chores has more leeway than your boss might, in terms of timelines and workload.

• With our sweeping a floor example, we might want to set a timer. We can also determine what is an appropriate amount of time to thoroughly sweep the floor without taking too long or rushing. You might want to use an app like a Pomodoro app that counts down time.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL in chores

Above, I mentioned quality control standards. If you live with a teenager, you know this is a big one. People tend to rush through tasks just to get done. They miss a lot of the key details when completing tasks.  Doing chores requires attention skills!

Attention to detail is an executive functioning task not to be missed. This may take some demonstration as your teen’s “good enough” might not meet your standards. These can be part of your planning checklist as they go through the steps to complete the task.

Example: Cleaning the bathroom: highlight all the areas that need to be cleaned.  Demonstrate what “clean” means, and how they will know something is clean. Point out things like spittle around the sink, dirt around the toilet bowl, and dust bunnies in the corners.

You can play quality inspector when rewarding for a completed chore.  At first, expect some mistakes, and some things you will have to go over after they have finished. What grade did they get, and how does the pay out work?  $1.00 for a grade A job, $.80 for B work, $.60 for a C, etc.  Be sure to give the reasons for your grade so your learner can make adjustments the next time.

With our floor sweeping example, this might look like staying focused on the task, avoiding distractions like phones or interruptions. We might want to set a short term goal to continue to sweep even if the task is repetitive or tedious, and aim for a clean floor.

SELF REGULATION and chores

Being responsible for chores can help build the executive functioning skill of self-regulation. Learners need to manage their emotions, deal with distractions, and ignore the impulse to cut corners.  Help your teen identify their emotions such as fear of failure, perfectionism, or overwhelm, and talk though them. Imagine what advice you would give a friend instead of your child.  Recognize their emotional barriers.

Some other self-regulation skills that chores can build are:

• work tolerance
• frustration tolerance
• taking turns
• sharing (responsibilities and jobs)
• working together
• working independently
• emotional regulation

Another way to build executive function through self-regulation is to help your child practice autonomy.  Teach them to advocate for themselves when they reach a road block they can not solve.  Better yet, encourage them to work hard to problem solve by themselves. Try giving limited instructions after the initial trials to build independent thinking and follow through.

For our sweeping the floor example, self-regulation might look like; Managing frustration if floor debris or dirt is difficult to gather or if the debris scatters when sweeping it into the dust pan. The goal is to stay calm to complete the task efficiently.

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY in chores

Some people are more mentally flexible than others. Routine has its place, however, mixing things up helps build adaptability.  Once your teen has mastered one chore, start them on something new. Throw in some obstacles that will need to be problem solved (like encountering a messy room, or running out of cleaning supplies).

Doing chores allows great opportunities for flexibility. What might happen if you run out of toilet cleaner?  Is there something else you can use, or does the task have to be put on hold? Chores offer chances to adapt without significant consequences – the dishwasher will not explode if the dishes are delayed by 15 minutes.

SELF REFLECTION AND self ASSESSMENT in chores

After the chore is finished (and maybe before you give your grade on how completely the chore was done), ask your teenager to assess their work. There is going to be a tricky balance between praising them for a job well done and pointing out flaws.

Self reflection is really important with chores.

Direct them back to the checklist to review if all the steps were completed. Ask about their time management, attention to detail, planning, level of independence, problem solving and self-regulation to help them reflect.

For our sweeping the floor example, this means the individual has to continuously checking the cleanliness of the floor and ensuring no spots are missed. It helps to teach them to evaluate the thoroughness of the task…and this skill carries over to every chore, too!

How to Work on Executive Functioning Skills with Chores

Chores are a life skill that needs to be done. It’s a tool and a means for supporting executive functioning skills.

Here are some tips to help with doing chores even when executive functioning skills are a challenge…because doing the chores is a great way to actually work on those cognitive skills that then carry over to so many other areas of life.

• Make a to-do list of chores that need to be done each day.
• Use an app to help with chore lists
• Make a routine that has you doing certain chores on certain days of the week. For example, clean your room on Saturday. Take out the trash on Tuesday night. Sweep Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Do laundry on Sunday. Then, you have one chore to do on certain days. This can really help to get those tasks done.
• Have a plan. Include chores in your weekly routine and weekly lists, included with other tasks like schoolwork, jobs, activities, etc. You can even set a timer in your phone for the day of the week and the time that you will do certain chores.
• Stack chores- This basically means you do two related things at one time and then try to make that part of your routine. Maybe you run the water in the kitchen sink to do the dishes and you wipe off the counters while the sink is filling up.
• Try a visual reward chart. There are many different types and you can adjust this to meet the needs and the level (age) of the individual. Even adults can see progress on a reward chart that is as simple as crossing tasks off a list.
• Set a timer. Pick the amount of time you want to spend on a task and then set a timer. See if you can get it done by the time the timer goes off. This helps with task completion and sustained attention.
• Put the phone away. This one is huge! When you have a certain task to do like folding laundry, it can be easy to have your phone on with a video playing as you fold. However, before you know it, you’re sucked into a video and the folding isn’t happening. Put the phone away until the task is done and then maybe use the video watching as a reward once the task is completed.
• Focus on accomplishments. I love this strategy for doing chores even when executive functioning skills are a struggle. This just means that you try to identify the benefits of actually having the chore done and accomplished. Maybe you really dread cleaning out the dishwasher. It’s a terrible task, right? So boring and monotonous. But if the dishwasher is cleared out, what does that mean? You will have a clean counter because you can put dirty dishes into the dishwasher. You can have clean utensils and plates to eat from. Basically, you want to list out as many positive benefits of actually doing the task that you can think of. It will feel so good to actually get this job done! This strategy can help you to push past the resistance. Especially when you do this automatically. The more you focus on the benefits, the more natural this process becomes.
• Another tactic for doing chores even when executive functioning skills are a struggle is to take a look at how you spend your time. Use a calendar or an app and track how you spending time. How much time to you actually spend doing daily chores and how much time is spent on social media or on your phone? Seeing those actual numbers or actual blocks of time marked off can help you to see the chunks of time that ar available or are wasted.

These are chores you can use to improve executive functioning skills.

Chores that Develop Executive Functioning Skills

Here’s a list of chores that can help develop executive functioning skills, with an emphasis on different cognitive skills that make up executive functioning:

Sorting Laundry

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, organization, working memory
• Kids must sort clothes by color, size, or type and plan out washing cycles (e.g., whites, colors).
• There are several steps to the task of laundry, so this can be a challenge for some to do the whole process. Start with just one piece, like sorting laundry. Then add washing. Then drying. Then folding. Then putting away clean laundry.

Making the Bed

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, sustained attention, sequencing
• Completing multiple steps in a sequence (pulling sheets, arranging pillows) helps build initiation and persistence. I don’t know about you but making a bed is a good chore for self-regulation skills, too. It’s frustrating to get those sheets just right!

Setting the Table

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, organization, working memory
• Remembering which utensils and items go where, organizing the table, and making sure all of the settings are complete.

Sweeping the Floor

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, sustained attention, self-monitoring
• Planning how to cover the entire area, staying focused, and checking for missed spots.

Vacuuming

• Executive Functioning Skills: Time management, self-monitoring, impulse control
• Managing time to thoroughly vacuum and avoiding rushing through the task.

Cleaning a Room

• Executive Functioning Skills: Organization, planning, sustained attention
• Deciding where to start, organizing items, and maintaining focus until the room is tidy.

Washing Dishes

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, time management, sustained attention
• Beginning the task promptly, maintaining focus until all dishes are washed, and managing time effectively. Then there is the drying of dishes and then putting away clean dishes.

Taking Out the Trash

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, working memory, time management
• Remembering to do this regularly and making sure the trash is disposed of in the correct location. This one is important because if trash isn’t taken out in time for the trash pick up, you’ll have trash building up around the home.

Feeding Pets

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, task initiation, self-monitoring
• Following a schedule, remembering the correct amounts, and making sure the task is done consistently and daily.

Watering Plants

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, organization, time management
• Following a schedule, planning the amount of water for each plant, and being consistent.

Cooking or Baking- Cooking is a great way to work on executive functioning skills!

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, sequencing, working memory, cognitive flexibility
• Following a recipe involves gathering ingredients, following steps, and adapting as necessary.

Folding and Putting Away Laundry

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, sustained attention, organization
• Completing the task from start to finish, folding neatly, and organizing clothes by category or person.

Cleaning Windows or Mirrors

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, sustained attention, self-monitoring
• Managing time to ensure thoroughness and checking to ensure all smudges are gone.

Organizing a Backpack or School Supplies

• Executive Functioning Skills: Planning, organization, working memory
• Making sure all of the needed materials are included, packed in an organized way, and nothing is forgotten.

Emptying the Dishwasher

• Executive Functioning Skills: Task initiation, sustained attention, working memory
• Remembering where each item goes and staying focused until all dishes are put away properly.

In The OT Toolbox membership, we have a bunch of executive functioning resources for doing chores.

RESOURCES for Chores and Executive Functioning Skills

• Here are some more ideas for task initiation strategies and executive function
• Check out this great article on Task Initiation Strategies for Adults (and children)
• This post on How to Involve Children in Chores is a great resource
• Teachers Pay Teachers has some great resources on teaching chores, creating a lesson plan, and documenting progress.
• Life skills cards – This set of 10 pages of Life Skills Cards help break down functional skills and measure them. Some goals such as “improve self help skills” are broad, and often overwhelming. These life skills cards help break a large goal into functional tasks, giving learners a visual reminder of the tasks being practiced, and a way to track them. Learners use a punch, or other tool, to mark each time they have practiced the task.

A final note about chores and executive functioning skills…

The reason we highlight teens and executive functioning skills is; this is the age range where it really begins.  While younger children can demonstrate attention to detail, some time management, and planning skills, it is not without much supervision and instruction. The prefrontal cortex that helps with decision making, is not fully functioning until our kids are in their late 20s!

The Impulse Control Journal…a printable resource for helping kids strategize executive functioning skill development. When saying “calm down” just isn’t enough…

When a child is easily “triggered” and seems to melt down at any sign of loud noises or excitement…

When you need help or a starting point to teach kids self-regulation strategies…

When you are struggling to motivate or redirect a child without causing a meltdown…

When you’re struggling to help kids explore their emotions, develop self-regulation and coping skills, manage and reflect on their emotions, identify their emotions, and more as they grow…

Grab the Impulse Control Journal to build organizational strategies, planning, prioritization, habits, and mindset in kids.

Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.