Eva-Marie Fredric thought her then-14-year-old son, Dylan, could handle the task of packing for their trip to the mountains. But when the two arrived at the campsite, she found the tent — but no tent poles. “We slept outside on an inflated air mattress, freezing our bums off, with the dog huddled between us,” recalls the L.A.-based writer and producer.

Teens often frustrate their parents with their inability to remember key information and keep track of their stuff. Part of the problem is that their brains are not developed enough to do these things consistently and well, says Doris Trauner, MD, professor of neurosciences and chief of pediatric neurology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

via An Inside Look at the Teen Brain.