After working in England, Germany and the United States and hearing from friends who live all over the world, I've noticed a few places where modern American parents could use a bit of extra coaching.

"What do you like about piano?" I asked my daughter a few years ago when we were on our way to register for her ninth year of lessons. "Being able to say I haven't quit," she told me. Uh-oh.

I yearn for those moments. I yearn for lazy Saturday mornings spent lounging in pajamas -- not for my sake (although, it sure would be nice to catch up on some sleep!), but for our sake. We need them. We cherish those moments. And they are far too rare.

When my first son turned 6 years old, a new era began in our family. We were ushered quickly into the wonderful world of YMCA soccer. When you graduate from Gerber baby food to the fresh-cut grass pitch of the local Y soccer league, you're in for a treat.

I feel guilty because my kids don't do enough, then feel guilty when I make them participate. I came to the point where I had to make a decision for our family.

With the best of intentions, we hand our children off to a myriad of coaches and tutors because we think they will best prepare our kids for the future. But this can come at a high cost.

Watch out folks: Mama stepped out of the mini-van. You'll no longer find me driving all over town at ridiculous hours of the day chasing the newest extracurricular whim. How did I do it? I staged an extracurricular crackdown.