In a 2014 study published in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder, found that young children who spent more time engaging in open-minded, free-flowing activities displayed higher levels of "self-directed executive functioning."
What is executive functioning? It is essentially the set of mental skills primarily controlled by the pre-frontal cortex that enable us to complete tasks. These skills include:
- Emotional Control
- Attention
- Planning and Prioritization
- Goal-Directed Persistence
- Cognitive Flexibility
- Organization
- Impulse Control
- Task Initiation
We all have natural strengths and weaknesses in our executive functioning. Current research is now suggesting that these skills are malleable. This is great news for our children!
This study suggests that increasing self-directed functioning does not require much from us. We don't need to add anything to our lives. Instead, it gives us permission to take a little bit of pressure off our children and ourselves. When we give children some unstructured space in their lives, we are allowing them to think for themselves and hone their executive skills.
