School, sports, chores, homework, music lessons, Scouts. Wait a minute -- a circus clown would have a hard time juggling these activities. And a clown wouldn't have all the answers. So, as you start another year of school, we went to an expert on juggling to help you figure it all out. Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld writes about and studies overscheduled kids.

He'd be the first to say that you -- and your family -- need time to play.

First, don't feel as if you're the only one feeling pressure. Parents and families are facing more scheduled activities than in the past, Rosenfeld said.

His advice?

"Play Monopoly."

Play it with your whole family. A family game night is a good idea.

But don't write this on your schedule. Too many scheduled activities are stressful, even when they're fun.

Rosenfeld sees a lot of kids and families trying to squeeze in way too much. He said schools are guilty of doing this, too.

One of the things you can't take out of your busy schedule is homework. There are ways to be more efficient. (See the tips listed below.) But you can take a closer look at your other activities.

Rosenfeld has these suggestions for kids and their parents:

Trust yourself

If everyone seems too rushed and the activities aren't fun, then go with your feelings. Don't worry about what your friends next door are doing. "Anxiety brings out the worst in everyone," Rosenfeld said. "If you're feeling frazzled, can't think straight, trust yourself and tell your parents it's too much."

Set priorities and make choices

You can help make the choices in your activities. Speak up. "Tell your parents if you're interested in drawing, not soccer," Rosenfeld said. Respect yourself and what your interests are. Rosenfeld said life should not be a "boot camp" (that's military training camp), especially for kids. Instead, you should be exploring what you want to do. Most people don't know what they want to do when they grow up -- even as young adults. So it's OK to change your mind about what activities you like.

Do what you love

If you love a sport or an activity, you should do it. But be smart about it. Maybe you love to play soccer, but do you have to play on a travel team? That involves extra hours and time away from other activities. A neighborhood team can be very competitive and fun.

Take time to play

Talk to your parents about allowing for some down time, or free time. "You deserve some time to do whatever you want. If you've done one activity you like, plus your homework, then play Nintendo or watch some TV," Rosenfeld said. Talk with your parents about what you can do in your free time.

Pride, not prizes

Don't feel you have to take home a trophy or prize from every activity. You can enjoy sailing, but you might never win the America's Cup. (Kids and parents can remind coaches of this, too. If you improve at a sport, have fun and learn a new skill, that's great. You don't have to be a star.) Rosenfeld said too many families may drop an activity if it's not prize-winning. You also can't predict what kids will be best at later. Your bodies -- and interests -- change quickly.

Family fun

Do some activities together! Maybe you play the flute and your mom plays the clarinet -- you can play a duet.

That kind of balance makes for perfect harmony.