Americans have long turned to sports and career coaches to shape up their bodies and work life. Now, some are hiring a new breed of coach — one that helps bring order to families and home-life. Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, pediatrician and author of Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children sheds some light on the new breed of coaches and offers simple, smart parenting advice. Here’s a Q&A:

Why do families need coaches?

Modern times really invite unhealthy habits. There is so much over-scheduling, kids have so many activities and people don’t know where to turn.

Are parents letting kids get away with too much?

Our expectations have changed but also, modern times have changed. Advances in technology mean that kids are ahead of their parents in so many ways — they’re growing up faster, experimenting more. What we really need to do is get back to basics. We need to reinforce good habits of sleeping, exercise, and time management…

The best way to get your family in order is by doing an assessment of your child’s health habits: what they are doing now and what they need to start doing to have health and happiness as they grow older. The key ingredients are sleep, safety habits, and emotional health. Address these first.

Of course, not everyone needs a coach to accomplish this. And it doesn’t have to be a big, expensive production. The expense is a real downside to this and remember, these are self -prescribed experts. They are not licensed or credentialed so you have to be careful. Coaches are a good way to motivate some people, but I think it all comes down to good time management, organization and trying to fit in the basics.

Why do we let our home-life get so disrupted?

You may feel like there are higher expectations of you at your job. There are other people that you need to listen to and you put your best face out there. At home you let things slip and slide because no one is watching you. But our children imitate us so behaviors at home, so it’s very important. Parents are really huge influences on their children — kids imitate what they see.

What is the number one thing families can do for immediate benefit?

The most important thing for families to do is spend time together, but quality time doesn’t mean being disorganized…

What are some of the challenges for working women in balancing a family with long work hours?

We all face the challenge of working long hours while still trying to be there for our kids – whether it’s helping them with homework, doing activities with them or having a family meal together. At the same time, you also need time for yourself as well.

It all comes down to how you manage your time. What people need to do for starters is ask: What should go and what should stay? What are we trying to do this for?

You need to sit down as a family and decide how you want to prioritize you life. Once you understand your family’s priorities, you need to manage your time so that you are having fun but also instilling good habits in your children.

Healthy habits are important. Kids should eat good food — and not in front of the television. Also, be aware of work habits, like how your kids manage their time. That makes a big difference for how they function in the future. Kids need routines and they really like knowing what to expect…

Source: MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21659493/