Executive Function, Explained: When the Fresh Start Wears Off
How to help teens maintain routines and follow through after the back-to-school novelty fades.
Many teens come to their first coaching session of the school year feeling energized and optimistic.
They’re staying on top of assignments. Grades are looking good. Maybe they’re using the new planner or checking their school portal without being reminded.
It can feel like this year is going to be different.
Then, a few weeks into the school year, something changes.
Classes start to feel more routine. The workload increases. There are more assignments and deadlines to keep track of. The excitement of a new school year starts to fade.
And sometimes motivation fades with it.
Missing assignments can start to pile up. The planner that worked in September gets forgotten. Parents find themselves reminding more often.
When this happens, I don't think we need to figure out how to recreate that first-week-of-school feeling.
Instead, we can get curious about what the strong start was already telling us.
A Strong Start Gives Us Information
When things are going well, pay attention.
What is your teen doing differently?
Are they checking assignments regularly? Using a planner that works for them? Going to bed earlier than they did during the summer? Asking questions when they need help? Starting homework around the same time each day?
These are clues.
Rather than waiting until something isn't working, we can use this time to notice what seems to be helping.
Look at the Environment Too
It isn't only about what your teen is doing.
At the beginning of the school year, the workload may be lighter. There may be fewer competing deadlines. Parents may also be providing more structure because everyone is in back-to-school mode.
As the weeks go on, those conditions can change.
That context matters when we're trying to understand why something that worked in September isn't working as well in October.
Ask Your Teen
One of my favorite questions during a strong stretch is:
“What do you think is helping right now?”
Your teen may notice something you haven't.
Maybe they like one teacher's assignment system. Maybe doing homework right after school is working. Maybe having everything written in one place makes it easier to see what needs their attention.
This is also an opportunity to build [self-awareness]. When teens begin noticing what helps them, they can play a larger role in choosing the supports they use.
Expect Routines to Change
The routines that work at the beginning of the school year may need to change.
If something stops working in October, that gives us new information.
What changed? What feels harder now? What support would help?
The goal isn't to maintain the enthusiasm of the first week of school all year. It's to help teens develop supports they can return to and adjust as school becomes more demanding.
Notice → Name → Plan
Here's one way to approach this with your teen:
Notice: What is working right now?
Name: Why might it be helping?
Plan: What could we keep, adjust, or return to when things get harder?
You don't have to overhaul every routine while things are going well.
Start by noticing.
Try This This Week
Sometime this week, ask your teen:
“What feels like it's working well for you right now?”
Then listen before offering a strategy.
Their answer might give both of you useful information for later in the school year.
If your teen struggles with planning, prioritizing, or following through, executive function coaching gives them guided opportunities to practice these skills with support while gradually taking greater ownership of their responsibilities.
