The Hour that Matters Most - Les & Leslie Parrot w/ Stephanie Allen, Tina Kuna

3/5

I wanted to like The Hour that Matters Most a lot more than I did.  That's not to say that it is a bad book, in fact it is most definitely not bad at all.  The premise behind the book is excellent - that the dinner hour is the most valuable hour a family can spend together.  Subjects range from talking to your children, instilling manners, and cultivating dinnertime wisdom.  The authors talk about how the dinner table should be a safe place for your children, a respite from the world that they can come to each and every day.  I really appreciated the psychology behind why eating as a family is so important, I have to say that I agreed with almost everything the authors said.

Still, I feel like the authors fell a little short of the mark in the actual execution of the book.  It basically reads like a magazine, with little tidbits here and there that gloss over issues but provide no real subject depth.  At times it felt as if I were reading various unrelated articles; let's just say that cohesiveness is not this book's strong point.  I was also disappointed with the scant recipes that were offered.  I was left wanting more ideas of how to create meals that the family actually wants to sit down and eat.  For some people the hardest part about family dinners are the meals themselves.

The Hour that Matters Most does offer wonderful ideas for creating a happy family mealtime.  I find it hard to fault a book that is trying to resurrect the long lost art of eating dinner together.  If anything, this book does a great job convincing the reader that it absolutely does matter whether you sit down to eat with your children.  I came away convinced of the value of eating together and determined to continue this practice within my family.  If you're interested in why this is so important, or just need a kick in the pants to get started, this book is for you.

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.