They should sit down at a low-key time and discuss what kind of family interaction they want to have and how they want to prioritize that interaction. One spouse may have to step forward and advocate strongly in this area, but without putting down the other spouse. I discuss strategies for this conversation in the last chapter of The Intentional Family , and issues in co-parenting in Take Back Your Kids . It's about being intentional. You were one of the founders of Family Life 1st a grassroots community organization dedicated to restoring the primacy of family time.
Family time runs counter to the hyper-individualism of our age.
Yes, a lot of cases. What it takes is conscious thinking and planning, having first assessed your values and hopes about family life. Any family can turn things around, but they must do it carefully and with sensitivity. We need a large-scale, grassroots movement in which people share their success stories and take pride in taking back their kids from a hyperactive, individualistic culture. The intentional family .