A Book Review

Recently, on The Frugal Girl, I learned about a book titled The Hour that Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal by Les & Leslie Parrott. Although we already have an established daily meal together, after reading The Frugal Girl’s review, I thought that I would read it for myself anyway. I am so glad that I did! After reading it, I felt encouraged and renewed in my conviction to regularly carve out the time to eat together.

The book was written in a light hearted and cheerful manner and I breezed through it quickly. And although the authors have done detailed research on the statistics concerning the family meal, the presentation of this research is delightful and easy to follow, not preachy or textbook like. The two additional co-authors, Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna, add personal stories from their own struggles with family meal times. And, the tips on table manners, conversation starters, and meal preparation are both simple and helpful. Each chapter is also finished off with a recipe along with a full color photo.

The most astounding thing that I learned from reading The Hour that Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal is that research shows that families that commit to a regular family meal time are less stressed. Even though a family meal can seem like an additional commitment on the agenda each day, taking valuable time and energy, the benefit is that kids and parents alike are less stressed as a result. We all could use this regular stress relief in our lives!