Dear Family Coach: I've been coaching my 10-year-old son's baseball team for a few years. I enjoy spending the time together, but it seems like I have a more difficult time coaching my own son. Do you have any tips for how I can be more effective with my own kid? — Coach

Dear Coach: There is something heartwarming and nostalgic about a father and son heading off to practice together with bats and gloves in hand. But the reality is that coaching one's child is, as you mentioned, difficult. Being a coach is very different than being a parent, and sometimes what's needed for one role contradicts what's needed for the other. When you are both, it's confusing to know when to push hard and when to simply be supportive.

Before proceeding, find out whether your son enjoys having you as a coach. Lay off the guilt, and try to gauge his true feelings. While he might have loved having his dad coach when he was 6, he might feel different now. If he does, bow out gracefully and support him from the sidelines.

If he still wants to call you Coach, recalibrate how you think of him on the team. Focus your energy on helping him (and the other kids) learn skills. Try not to discuss your son's performance or point out his mistakes. Chances are he knows them already. Take your cues from him. If he isn't happy about how he is playing, provide opportunities for more practice. Additionally, recuse yourself as needed from picking team captains, assigning awards or even assigning positions if you are concerned about the appearance of favoritism.

Remember that you are a dad first and foremost. It is unrealistic to think you will treat your son just like all of the other boys. Eventually, your coaching days will be over, but you will always be his dad. That's the most important relationship to preserve.

Dear Family Coach: I know studies say that families that eat dinner together are healthier emotionally. My husband gets home too late for family dinner most nights. Plus, no one eats any of the same food, so dinner has become a very informal just-get-through-it meal. How can I get it back on track considering the issues? — Wishful

Dear Wishful: Families that eat together enjoy a whole host of benefits, including improved medical and mental health, better eating habits and closer relationships. Yet the modern society has stolen this precious time from families. With sports, long workdays, religious school, tutoring and a seemingly endless supply of homework, family mealtime has suffered. What a pity! Don't just write off this valuable time. Fight for it because it's worth it.

Family dinner is about an experience together sans electronics or distractions. It's a time for busy families to reconnect, provide support and deepen connections. It would be great if all members could be present for every dinner and terrific if everyone would eat the same food. But don't let those issues deter you. If not everyone can be home, have a sit-down meal with who is left. If at first you must prepare special foods for picky eaters, do it. Don't focus on food at all during family mealtime. Instead, have conversations; tell jokes; and ask about struggles or challenges during the day or about successes. Inquire about what the kids did that was difficult or how they made someone else's day. These conversations are like building blocks of relationships. Take the time to build that foundation even if it isn't perfect.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman, the founder of The Family Coach, LLC, advises parents on all matters of child rearing. To write to Dr. Pearlman, send her an email at questions@thefamilycoach.com. To find out more about Dr. Catherine Pearlman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.