This is Ask Lisa, a podcast to help people understand the psychology of parenting.

Psychologist Dr. Lisa DeMore, author of two New York Times best-selling parenting books, takes your questions.

And I'm co-host, Rina Ninan, a journalist and mom of two.

Some of what we talk about comes from raising children ourselves.

Most of the time, I'll be getting answers to your parenting questions.

So send your questions to Ask Lisa at Dr.Lisademore.com.

Episode 108, how do I help my disorganized high school kid? You know, we now have these videos, our episodes up on YouTube, and I'm really grateful that on the YouTube show, you don't see my desk.

Because if we were to go down to, you know, pan the camera

down to your desk versus my desk, it is a hot mess. I did not learn executive functioning skills,

Lisa. Is it too late for an adult? It's not too late. And, Rina, you do have executive functioning

skills, but people have a lot of confusion about what those mean because you get stuff done, you know, like you are on top of things. You are. And so, but I think that, you know, what executive functioning skills look like are different person to person.

Well, I feel like my closet and my desk is a constant hot mess.

Who's the kid from Peanuts?

Who's like a little trail of smoke that always follows it?

Was it Linus?

Was it Linus?

I can't remember which one, but that's how I feel.

Oh, pig pen.

You're thinking about pig pen.

That's who I'm thinking. exactly right. That's me. That's how I feel sometimes. But, you know,

we've been hearing a lot from parents about how do you kind of get your high schooler to be ready

for college? And this was something that showed up in our inbox. It says, dear, dear Dr. Lisa and Rina, my son, a high school junior, is a terrific guy.

...