The Multitasking Mess

The Multitasking Mess

By Carol Mithers

(Article from UCLA Magazine, January 2007; http://magazine.ucla.edu/)

Hey, 2007 Parent — Wuz up w/yr kid rt now? NM? Just doing HW? And like, of course, talking 2 ppl. Maybe 5 or 6 on IM. Plus yea, texting 2 more.

Typical, right? Most kids today do their homework with only one eye on the book. The other’s on the computer screen, watching for Instant Messages or MySpace updates; meanwhile, fingers are tapping out return messages, and the steady beat of music coming through iPod earbuds is interrupted only by the regular pinging of cell phones announcing new text messages. A recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll found that 53 percent of kids 12–17 did at least one other thing while studying, while 21 percent performed three other tasks simultaneously.

Ten Ways to Help Your Child Get Organized

Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life. Although some people are by nature more organized than others, anyone can put routines and systems in place to help a child “get it together.” The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities has compiled a list of strategies that you can use to help your child get — and keep — her life under control.

Books – Disclaimer – Not endorsements just available resources

 The Minds of Boys: Saving our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens

Freeing Our Families from Perfectionism by Thomas S. Greenspon

The Overscheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper- Parenting Trap by Alvin Rosefeld, Nicole Wise, Robert Coles

Nurturing Resilience in our Children: Answers to the Most Important Parenting Questions by Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein