The headline popped out at me today of all mornings, when I'm already stressing about how I'm going to get the kids to everything the next few days--trunk or treat at church, trick or treat in the neighborhood, sing at the nursing home, school party ... the list goes on.  "Pushy Parenting Undermines Self Confidence." It's yet another warning against overscheduling our kids, that it can stifle imagination and self confidence and even lead to hyper activity. But rest assured, getting our kids involved in activities isn't all bad. Recent research shows that the kids who actually suffer the most are the ones who aren't involved in anything. And that it turns out kids overloaded with activities aren't more stressed, it's just the parents who are!

As with all things, the key is balance. Sign your kids up for what they're excited about, soccer gets them running around playing with others, dance gives them an outlet for creativity. But be careful that there's still down time to play. Creative play is important for many reasons, as this school found by modeling after the Tools for the Mind program. It helps kids learn to regulate behavior and emotions. Something we all know from learning how to play by the rules with games like freeze tag when parents where nowhere to be found.

So get together the kids from the neighborhood, or join a play group (Triadmommies.com is a great resource), teach the kids a few games like hop scotch and hide and seek, and step aside. Yes, you'll probably have to teach them the basic rules because they're apparently not getting passed on like in generations before. But once you step aside, you'll be helping not just your kids, but also giving yourself some good time to visit with the other parents, or go read a good book!

Two stories hit the local news this weekend that bring to light a problem that has seemed to get less attention during this era of No Child Left Behind--the drop out rate. It's staying stagnant nationwide at a rate of 1 in 4 kids dropping out, while other industrialized nations are improving their rates. According to the AP, North Carolina's graduation rate is 72%, but because of the way NCLB is written, our goal is only to try to increase it by .1% a year.

In a related story, the Christian Science Monitor reports that schools where communication between parents and teachers is good see higher graduation rates. Keeping parents involved in their kids' school throughout their education is extremely important. And keeping kids in school is important, since drop outs are 72% more likely to be unemployed and will earn 27% less than high school graduates.

Luckily, things are being done in our own local school systems to help combat the drop out rate and ensure a successful future for all of our kids. The drop out rate in Guilford County has already improved immensely over the past ten years, in part thanks to a "graduation coach" program. And Mo Green is taking a hands-on approach to working on the drop out rate.

In Forsyth County, one of the programs to help stem the drop out rate was initiated last summer, when the YWCA teamed up with Carver High School and the STRIDES program to lauch a mentoring type program.

The important thing to remember, especially for parents of young children, is to keep the lines of communication open, between you and your kids and between you and their teachers, to help make sure our kids get the education they need. And if you'd like to help even more, consider becoming a mentor. Volunteer at a local school, with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or your local YMCA or YWCA.

If you haven't already heard, we're in the midst of accepting entries for this year's Young Authors contest. The deadline is fast approaching--Nov. 17--and we're eagerly waiting to read the hundreds of great books we receive each year from creative writers throughout the Triad.

The Young Authors contest isn't just a way for Piedmont Parent to celebrate great talent, although the reception honoring all the winners and participants at the end of the contest is a lot of fun, and a great way to meet some other parents. It's also a good way to get your child excited about writing, a skill that will serve them well throughout the rest of their school years and into their career, no matter what path they choose.

Entering writing contests like our Young Authors contest is just one way to make writing fun and encourage kids to get creative. The National Writing Project offers 10 Ideas to get kids writing, and Teaching-Children.org has their own list of 6 Tips to Get Kids Writing, both of which provide great ideas to encourage good writing habits throughout the year.

If you're a parent of a younger child, it's not too early to start practicing those early writing skills. Check out what Eric Digest has to say about encouraging writing skills in kindergarteners.

This weekend, more than 300 high school kids from 25 counties across the state will converge at the Greensboro Downtown Marriott for the 3rd Annual Youth Giving Summit, held by the NC Youth Giving Foundation. From 10-4 they will participate in a program designed to help guide how they will give out more than $160,000 in grant money, and of course there will be time for socializing, hanging out with friends and meeting new people, and the whole event ends with a bang as Rock-Artist David Garibaldi delivers a message of giving.

It's inspiring to see so many kids devote their weekend to giving to others. Members of Greensboro's Teen Grant Making Council will be in attendance, and some of the projects they've funded have been a service project for girl scouts, an art mural and a robotics club at the Guilford Early College.

Giving their time and energy to others has become a priority for kids in Gen Y and even the following generation, called Gen Z. As Gen Y enters the workforce, employers are finding they have to be community minded to attract the best of this generation of workers.

I'd like to think we can thank ourselves as parents for this passion for volunteering. After all, kids learn from us first, right? For those of us with little Gen Z kids who are just learning about compassion and caring for others there are plenty of ways to help get them out volunteering. Check out this page of How Stuff Works for some easy volunteering activities for kids. And if you're still looking for reasons to get involved, KidsHealth maps out why it's important.

Whether or not you and your spouse are very political, our kids are definitely being exposed to the elections this year. Whether they're in school and their teachers are helping them understand our electoral process and getting them excited about the vote, like Susan Burroughs at St. Lutheran School, or they're just watching TV with us and being bombarded with campaign ads, it's one of the biggest topics of discussion right now. KidsHealth did a survey of kids and found that 75 percent of them believe this election will change their life in some way. That not only means that our kids are paying attention to the news, but also that they might be worried about things a little. So it's a good time to practice those conversation skills and have some discussion.

KidsHealth recommends tips for talking about the election, including: be reassuring, be positive, and help them get involved. For more, check out "Talking Politics: What to say to your kids."

Other resources include help with talking to your kids about campaign ads, many of which have gotten pretty nasty around here, and NPR's article on talking with your kids about race and the campaign.

And of course, help get them involved. Kids across the country will be voting on November 3 in the Studies Weekly vote, held from 8:30 to 3:30, with an electoral map that will show results as polls close in each time zone.

You can also take them with you, thanks to Kids Vote they can have their own say in polling places across the Triad. Check out the Web site for your county's ballot as well as other great resources.