#80: How do I raise an organized child?

with Damon Korb, MD, FAAP

Listen here

  • In this episode we discuss…

  • What are executive functioning difficulties? 

  • How to set your kids up for success

  • When to be a coach a manager or a consultant 

  • If a disorganized parent can raise an organized child 

  • 5 lessons parents can use to help raise an organized child 

    • (1) Be Consistent,

    • (2) Introduce Order,

    • (3) Give Everything A Place

    • (4) Practice Forward-Thinking,

    • (5) Promote Problem Solving.

  • How important consistency is 

  • What is step wisdom 

  • How to set up systems for success 

  • How not to get lost in the messes 

  • How to practice higher-level organizational thinking 

  • Why boredom is necessary 

  • What does professional help look like for executive functioning 

  • How to push your child at the level they are



Organized children are not born, they are raised. That is the philosophy of this week’s guest, developmental pediatrician, Dr. Damon Korb. This week we get a crash course in executive function, otherwise known as those critical skills that help us plan, focus, and juggle all of our tasks, goals, and impulses. Dr. Korb shares 5 principles to help us nurture this critical aspect of’ development in children of all ages, neurotypical and neurodivergent alike.


Damon Korb, MD, FAAP, is one of the country’s leading behavioral and developmental pediatricians, founder of the Center for Developing Minds, and author of the sanity-saving book Raising an Organized Child: 5 Steps to Boost Independence, Ease Frustration, and Promote Confidence (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019). Years of providing care for thousands of families with a struggling child -- and raising five children of his own -- has given him a unique perspective about what works, and what doesn’t when it comes to parenting.
As the founder and director of the Center for Developing Minds, Dr. Korb examines the neurodevelopmental brain functions that determine how a child learns, behaves and socializes. Dr. Korb directs a team of child development experts who care for children and young adults that struggle at home and school due to: behavior issues, learning difficulties, attention problems, social skill deficits, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, and psychological disorders.
Dr. Korb is a Past President of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and the current Board Chairperson for Parents Helping Parents. Dr. Korb is an adjunct clinical instructor for the Stanford University Medical Center.
Prior to creating the Center for Developing Minds, he founded Kidscope, formerly known as the Center for Learning and Achievement, and consulted on the creation of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic at Kaiser Permanente, both in San Jose, CA.
Dr. Korb completed his behavioral and developmental fellowship training at the Center for Development and Learning, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Korb finished his pediatric internship and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and earned his medical degree in 1994 from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York. Dr. Korb received a B.S. in psychobiology from the University of Southern California in 1990.

Connect with Dr. Korb on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Resources mentioned or recommended:

Jordan Best