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Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Navigating Homework Battles, Understanding Executive Function & Helping Teens Succeed :: Dr. Matthew Housson [Ep 568]

Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Education, Leisure, Kids & Family, Parenting

4.9 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary


Why does homework and school in general turn into a battle in so many homes?

In this insightful conversation, Dr. Matthew Housson breaks down what’s really going on when kids struggle with homework—and why it’s often not a discipline issue at all. Instead, many challenges come down to executive function skills—things like planning, focus, emotional regulation, and the ability to start and finish tasks.

We talk about how brain development impacts motivation, why some kids struggle to shift into “low dopamine” tasks like homework, and what parents can do to support their child without taking over.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, confused, or even discouraged trying to help your child succeed academically, this episode will give you clarity, practical tools, and encouragement—you’re not alone, and there is a better way forward. In this episode we talk about: 

  • When behavior is developmentally normal vs. when to seek help
  • The key signs of depression in teens (including irritability)
  • Why a full profile is often more helpful than a diagnosis
  • Practical tools to make homework time smoother
  • Executive function skills are learned and developed over time

  • You can’t rush development—but you can support it

Connect with Dr. Matthew Housson: 

Links Mentioned: 

Related Episodes:


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, y'all, welcome back to the Don't Mom Alone podcast.

0:10.0

I'm your host, Heather McFaddean, and this is the place where I get to walk alongside you

0:13.6

and connect you with people and resources so you know that you don't mom alone.

0:18.6

In this episode, number 568, I'm welcoming to the show, Dr. Matthew Howson.

0:24.2

So for children, a lot of times homework is a very low dopamine activity, which means they have

0:30.3

low brain arousal.

0:31.8

They're not activated.

0:33.5

They're not engaged.

0:34.5

And they're wanting to do avoidance.

0:37.6

And so that kind of defines, you know, the topic we're talking about today is the homework battle.

0:43.2

And so I think understanding executive function, just a couple other executive functions,

0:47.6

emotional control is a common executive function that I deal with.

0:51.4

So initiation, planning, organizing, self-monitoring, shifting, and emotional

0:56.2

control are kind of the core executive function skills that we deal with. And the nice thing about

1:03.3

them is their skills. So unlike height, you know, which is a more fixed thing, these executive

1:10.7

function skills can be built.

1:13.8

Dr. Housen is a psychologist here in Dallas. He is the CEO and founder of the Housen Center,

1:20.5

which provides psychological and educational services from assessment to treatment,

1:25.7

even some educational support helping your family.

1:28.9

If you are in this place of trying to decide which schools your kids could go to, he helps

1:33.9

families do that based on a child's learning profile.

1:38.2

And he and I started off both of our careers at the same place, the UT Dallas Caliars Center

...

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