I am, of course, a great fan of self-improvement. Anything that helps you get the best out of life without harming others is a Good Thing. For some people the services of a life coach can be a useful tool in the mix.

For some people. But for kids?

According to reports, life coaching for kids is something of a boom industry in Australia. Children as young as five are being signed up for life coaching by their parents at a cost of around AUD150 per hour.

I’ve got very mixed feelings about this. Kids can certainly benefit from early learning of skills such as goal setting, mind mapping, etc. But shouldn’t teaching this be the job of parents and schools?

Life coaching for teenagers, sure – if they’ll listen! – but kids in single figures? Shouldn’t they be allowed to play without worrying about the future? Or is this the perfect time to be teaching them good life habits?

What do you think?