Can teens multitask?

You would think, the way that they juggle cell phones, internet and TV…all while doing homework, that the answer would be “Yes.”  But if you were wondering how it is that they can’t both clear the dishes AND remember to take the laundry up the stairs (while walking right around the basket), you might say “No.”

The actual answer is closer to “No,” but it really depends on your son’ or daughter’s age.  An interesting study, linked right here, sheds some light on what’s going on in teen brain development, and when we can expect things to get better.  The article says, “The ability to remember multiple bits of information developed through age 13 to 15, the study found. But strategic self-organized thinking, the type that demands a high level of multi-tasking skill, continues to develop until ages 16 to 17.”  No answers, though, on how to manage parental frustration while we are waiting!