The Hour That Matters Most by Les and Lesie Parrott

If getting the family together for a dinner meal seems next to impossible, apparently you're not alone. Les & Leslie Parrott's new book The Hour That Matters Most (2011, ISBN13 9781414337449) shows that while it is hard to do with everyone's schedule in different directions, it can really help the family unit.

According to the authors, dinnertime is the one time that brings the family together through conversation and a meal. But they also state that the 'hour that matters most' doesn't have to be dinner - it's a meal where the entire family can sit down with each other, hopefully on a regular basis. An example in the book was where a busy family shared breakfast together each morning since the evenings were so harried.

The Hour That Matters Most gives practical advice for busy parents to use, with meal suggestions and recipes. The home-dinner team of Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna of Dream Dinners contributed to dinner help and how to plan for it. All the authors point out that eating together is more important than the actual food being served, or even the time of day it is served at. It's about bonding with the family. For those who are busy, it's a great book to help with structuring and a meal with conversation tips, etiquette guidelines, and how to encourage kids to listen, and how to identify conflict triggers at the dinner table.

Book Information:

• The Hour That Matters Most: The Suprising Power of the Family Meal; by Les and Leslie Parrot, with Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna
• Tyndale House Publishers
• ISBN13: 9781414337449
• Softcover, 180 pages

Disclosure: This book was provided to me from Tyndale House Publishers. Any opinions are my own.