Domestic Diversions

Family meals, childhood memories

The New York Times reports on contemporary eating habits of the American family.

Amanda Hesser writes (excerpt):
In a 1999 study conducted by Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute in New York, parents and their children ages 8 through 18 were asked what they thought children would most remember about this period in their lives. Ms. Galinsky said, “When I asked parents, they would often guess the big moments. The family vacation. The special event. Kids would talk about everyday family rituals.”

“So meals are really important,” Ms. Galinsky added. “They may not be the most important, but they say, ‘This is our family. This is how we do things.’ ”

With children having lost about 12 hours of parental time a week over the last two decades, said Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of “Creating a Life: Professional Women and the Quest for Children” (Miramax, 2002), some families are trying to hold on to their mealtimes together.
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In a 1999 study conducted by Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute in New York, parents and their children ages 8 through 18 were asked what they thought children would most remember about this period in their lives. Ms. Galinsky said, “When I asked parents, they would often guess the big moments. The family vacation. The special event. Kids would talk about everyday family rituals.”

“So meals are really important,” Ms. Galinsky added. “They may not be the most important, but they say, ‘This is our family. This is how we do things.’ ”

With children having lost about 12 hours of parental time a week over the last two decades, said Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of “Creating a Life: Professional Women and the Quest for Children” (Miramax, 2002), some families are trying to hold on to their mealtimes together.

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