In his fifth (and most urgent) visit, executive function specialist Mike McLeod says the quiet part out loud: today’s youth mental-health crisis is not a child problem—it’s an adult-built environment. He previews his forthcoming Executive Function Playbook and companion workbook, laying out why executive functions—not grades, apps, or endless “emotional curriculum”—are the strongest predictors of real-world success. McLeod argues that outsourcing growth to talk therapy and ed-tech hasn’t moved the needle for most kids; what does is parent training, clear boundaries, and steady structure. He names the two fastest dopamine loops—screens and conflict—and shows parents how to unplug both with calm, authoritative leadership.

This is a call to action, not a scold. McLeod and Ginny sketch a practical after-school blueprint: more unstructured outdoor play, peer time, reading, chores, and real hobbies, less algorithmic drift. If we stole play and boredom, we can return them—and with them, resilience, initiative, and joy. The message is bracing but hopeful: parents created this world, and parents can flip it.

Preorder Mike's Executive Function Playbook here

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