Each generation of kids engages in more and more extra-curricular activities as their parents strive for perfection in child-rearing.

And who is benefiting? No one. According to Alan Rosenfeld, M.D., and Nicole Wise, parents who work ceaselessly to assure their children's success may be overscheduling, overbooking or overstimulating them.

Are you a hyper-parent like the ones described above? Then you might be interested in "The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap" by Rosenfeld and Wise.

Not sure if your child is overscheduled? Here are some signs.

"Kids become valued for how they perform and not for who they are," says Rosenfeld.

Winners get anxious. "Nobody knows what I want," can become a child's lament.

"Everything is done with a sense of urgency," he continues. "It's got to be done now."

Wise believes parents need to decide what really is important to them and to their kids.

And despite what authorities say, "Kids almost universally want more time with their parents," she adds.

But at the same time, the over-scheduled child can become overwhelmed and anxious.

"Kids want time to veg out," Rosenfeld says. "They want time to be inactive. They need occasional bouts of boredom."

Modern parents are facing more anxiety and tension in how they are raising their kids, Wise says. There are more parenting issues and more authorities talking about parenting.

Rosenfeld suggests parents need to trust themselves and recognize that a good dose of humor can go a long way.

"Don't rely on all the experts," he admonishes parents. "We have to know ourselves. We have to know what makes sense to us."

And don't forget to have fun. "Kids love it when parents do silly things, tell silly jokes," he says.

And teens? Rosenfeld says, "They want to be good kids. They want to please their parents."

"The Over-Scheduled Child" retails for $13.95 and is available at local bookstores. For additional information, visit the Web: www.over-scheduledchild.com

TALE OF A TANK ENGINE: Get better acquainted with the most headstrong of the tank engines in the new video "Best of Percy."

Join Percy the little green tank engine and his pals in nine adventures that include narrations from conductors George Carlin and Ringo Starr.

The video retails for $12.98 and is available at local stores beginning Tuesday.

SAVE A FOREST: There's a new Web site in town that offers fun facts about forests, interactive games for kids in grades 3 to 8, free stuff such as special wallpaper for computer desktops and much more.

Interested kids can also learn about forests in the United States and Canada, as well as forest terms and environmental facts.

Visit www.forestinformation.com. A seedling will be planted for each visitor to the Web site.