The father was once the head of the family and the family's link to the rest of the world. The mother had power within the family unit. These traditional roles are changing today as more women enter the paid workforce. Children have a special place in Italia society. Italians make an effort to include children in social events.
Children go out with their parents to restaurants.
Most babies are looked after at home by their grandparents or by their mothers, if they don't work outside the home. Meal time is family time in Italy. Family members expect to eat together around the table. After dinner the family may go out for the passeggiata , an evening stroll. It is a time to relax and chat with neighbors and friends, to see and be seen, so everyone dresses to look their best.