Training kids to multitask is something that has been proven to be, not only inefficient, but also a detriment to (our and their) health. In the past and for quite some long time multitasking has been regarded as THE thing to be able do. It seems to make sense that if you can do one thing in a certain period of time then doing two or three things in that same period of time is even better!

I specifically remember one (or more) of the bosses and managers I’ve had over time say that employees who can multitask are the the most desirable. I could literally feel myself and the other employees in the room ‘gear ourselves up’ to impress the boss. This kind of thing was and probably still is a deciding factor when it is time to lay people off…who multitasks the best…who is willing to do more than one job…who handles the stress of all that the best….?

Well, I’m here to tell ya’ that we can only do ONE thing at a time well. The only time multitasking works and is not stress-inducing is when there is a machine doing the second and third tasks. Our conscious attention is singular and pointed. God’s is omnipresent. We attempt to multitask because our minds are inherently inclined to stress us out. We can only do ONE thing at a time well.

When we are teaching our kids, we often tell them to FOCUS on tasks to do them well. Why do we have them do that? The reason is because we know that that is the BEST way for them to excel in whatever it is that they are endeavoring. That goes for us as well. The fact that we are grown up does not mean that we can handle multiple distractions (like it’s a muscle) and do any one of them 100%. Our strength in adulthood in FOCUS is the LASER SHARPNESS with which we can FOCUS on any task or challenge. THAT is the muscle we are to develop in our kids. From there, The Theory of Relativity is born, Olympic Metals are won, Beautiful Books of Poetry are written…

So, if you’re pressing your kid to multitask, CUT IT OUT! You’re setting them up for unnecessary stress responses to tasks they would otherwise enjoy.

What’s your take on this aspect of training kids?