The New York Times reports a return to idyllic, 1950s-style family life:
After decades of decline in the simple ritual of family dinners, there is evidence that many families are making the effort to gather at the dinner table. A random nationwide survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found a recent rise in the number of children ages 12 to 17 who said they ate dinner with their families at least five times a week, to 58 percent last year from 47 percent in 1998.
What are we to make of this retro trend? Could it be a challenge to the excessive individualism we have come to (unwittingly) embrace and apply to even our most valuable relationships?
Smart Sex author "Dr J" gives us something to consider: activites like the family meal that nurture the family and strengthen marriages are essential to the survival of our free society.
