BOOK REVIEW: THE HOUR THAT MATTERS MOST

“The Hour That Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal” by Les & Leslie Parrott with Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna

Description:
Numerous studies have shown the clear benefits of family eating together at the dinner table – everything from a lower risk of diabetes in children, to higher performance scores among school aged children, and deeper feelings of family bonds and satisfaction. Though dinnertime is truly the most logical hour in a day to be proactive in gathering the family together, the authors don’t exclude the options of breakfast or 8 o’clock cookies and milk. Whatever it takes! The Hour that Matters Most will teach readers how to reclaim important time in order to build relationships, draw closer to one another, and restore connectedness and peace in your home simply through mealtimes together.

Through the book, discover:

• How to overcome the time starved, working mom dilemma
• The secrets of a healthy home
• Ways to engage your family in meaningful conversation
• How to start a fix and freeze club
• The heart of great table talk and fun
• And much more! 

My Thoughts
When my husband and I first moved in together, one of the first things that we did was eat together every night at the dinner table. No television (well…maybe for the occasional football game), no cell phones and no distractions. We decided to make a promise that every meal (if possible) would be eaten at the dinner table as a family. Little did we know that our family of two, which is now a family of four, has stuck true to that promise! In The Hour That Matters Most I couldn’t help but smile and agree with everything the authors had to say! Each chapter was just filled with incredible facts, tips and a very tasty recipe to try out as a family.

My husband was not as lucky as I was, but when I was growing up every meal was served at the dinner table. We would always take the time to talk about our day, our goals, worries, etc. – spending time as a family. Most families today though, are not like the one I grew up with, or the one that I am working so hard to raise. No, most families today are stopping at the nearest fast food place, ordering up another pizza, or popping another frozen chicken nugget meal in the microwave. Why, you ask? Well, its because for most families, there is not enough time to pick up the kids, drive home, create a four course meal, clean it up, and repeat on a daily basis.

Now, I know that I do not currently work. I am extremely thankful and beyond lucky to be able to stay home with my girls everyday. This is why I am able to cook for my family ~ breakfast, lunch and dinner. But most people that work day in and day out, there truly is never enough time, between meetings, sports practice, dance class, gymnastics, the commute to/from school or work, etc. And since school has started in the past month, now there is even more of rush for time – so that you can eat dinner, take a bath and prepare for bed so that your little (or big) ones are ready for school the next day. If you are nodding your head in agreement, then I want to urge you to read this book!

You may think that eating dinner or a meal for any matter as a family at the table does not matter. For me, I have always lived by having our family eat as a family. I try to always make sure we eat at the dinner table – but as I mentioned before, this is not always going to be a reality for most of you. When you read The Hour That Matters Most, you will learn how if you take a little bit of extra time to prepare once a week, that may give you the push or energy that you need to encourage your family to eat together at least two or three times a week.

I absolutely loved reading this book every night before going to bed. It was fun, informative, inspiring and written as if you were talking to a friend. You know that feeling you get, after you watch a really good movie – that’s exactly how I feel when I read this book. You will want to revisit it again and again. It will truly change the way you look at eating meals as a family, family bonding and how to go about making a change in your lives as a whole. You will learn how to improve your conversations with your children and spouse, as well as improving your relationships as a whole.

I would highly recommend this book to any parent, grandparent, teacher, counselor and more! For anyone struggling to eat together as a family or even just looking for tips on how to improve that hour you are already eating together. The book helps you as a parent/educator learn the long term effects of spending time together as a family. To learn more about this book, check out their website, or purchase it for yourself on Amazon. 

I received one of the products mentioned above for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.