Am I the only one out there who doesn’t go gaga for extracurricular activities? Surely I cannot be alone in my celebration of the end of soccer season and the blissful five months where I have no after school responsibilities short of collecting my offspring at the bus stop?

I mean really – whose idea was it to decree that all children ages 2 and above should be “well-rounded” in their artistic, scholastic and physical endeavors? Surely they can get into Harvard by being smart, right? Don’t they just need a good head on their shoulders, a solid SAT score and a fairly reasonable roster of philanthropic activities coupled with debate, dance and the occasional after school job?

Since when did getting into college be a kindergartner’s problem?

Listen, I am all for enriching my children’s lives. I am the first one to bounce them around at Kindermusik (same teacher for all 3 tyrants thankyouverymuch) and schlep them all over town to dance, soccer, horseback riding, swimming, CCD, blah, blah, blah.

I learned to pack the bags (and leave them packed – that’s key), figure out a way to magically be at two different soccer fields at the same time, and am the proud owner of a color coded carpool spreadsheet that basically serves as my justification as a halfway decent parent.

Frankly – it’s exhausting. And expensive. And is it really worth it?

At this point in time, they haven’t found their true passion yet. Except for the 8 year old – who would go to the barn every.single.day and ride if it weren’t for my limited time and financial resources. My son (5 y.o) has tried T-ball and soccer – and has hated every single moment until the season is over – then he cries because he “misses it”. The baby, at age 2, is still doing what I say – so she’s up to her eyeballs in ballet and tap because mommy wants to relive her glory days in the adjoining studio.

I just worry from time to time that all this pressure (and by pressure – I mean external, and probably hypothetical - because it certainly isn’t coming from me) to be special will result in a generation of kids who are fairly knowledgeable at a lot – and proficient at nothing.

This past Saturday, at my daughter’s final soccer game, she calls to me from the field, “If I don’t score a goal will you still be proud of me?”

Oh, yes she did.

And that’s coming from a kid whose mom never played a day of organized team sports in her life, is nursing a Starbucks on the sideline and only cheers when she has something nice to say.

Can you imagine her stress levels if her dad and I poured on the pressure or demanded nothing short of superior athletic performance during her Cheetah Girls days? Yikes….

Isn’t it better that we regroup – focus – and remove the fluff and focus on family life? If I want to have some semblance of a family dinner a few times a week – eighty gazillion sports teams is not going to work. I can’t bear the thought of dragging my toddler out (in the dark! in the cold!) more than once or twice a week to grab siblings from whatever practice/gathering/event they may be at. These are elementary aged children! What business do they have being out of my house at 7:30 at night? NONE!

They should be getting ready for bed. Homework done. Pajamas on. Teeth brushed. Stories read.

No – I do not mess around with bedtime up in here. That’s serious business.

These children need their sleep. And mommy needs to crack a bottle of wine and hang out with daddy –rehash the day and plan for the future.