In an ideal world your family comes together each night to sit, eat, laugh, and share some stories about the day. We picture smiling faces talking over a healthy meal as a father scoops mashed potatoes onto the plates of other members of the family. ... Parenting has changed over the course of many generations and one example of this would be that families don"t spend as much time together as they used to. For example, back when my parents were teenagers, no matter how hectic or difficult the day was and no matter how busy they were during the day, the family would always find time at the end