Called "the most unusually voyeuristic anthropology study ever conducted" by the New York Times, this groundbreaking book provides an unprecedented glimpse into modern-day American families. In a study by the UCLA Sloan Center on Everyday Lives and Families, researchers tracked the daily lives of 32 dualworker middle class Los Angeles families between 2001 and 2004. The results are startling, and enlightening. Fast-Forward Family shines light on a variety of issues that face American families: the differing stress levels among parents; the problem of excessive clutter in the American home; the importance (and decline) of the family meal; the vanishing boundaries that once separated work and home life; and the challenges for parents as they try to reconcile ideals regarding what it means to be a good parent, a good worker, and a good spouse. Though there are also moments of connection, affection, and care, it's evident that life for 21st century working parents is frenetic, with extended work hours, children's activities, chores, meals to prepare, errands to run, and bills to pay.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Note to the Reader IntroductionElinor Ochs and Tamar Kremer-Sadlik 1. Coming HomeElinor Ochs and Belinda Campos 2. At HomeAnthony P. Graesch 3. DinnerElinor Ochs and Margaret Beck 4. Mountains of ThingsJeanne E. Arnold 5. HouseworkWendy Klein, Carolina Izquierdo, and Thomas N. Bradbury 0006. ChoresWendy Klein and Marjorie Harness Goodwin 7. Homework and RecreationTamar Kremer-Sadlik and Kris Gutiérrez 8. NurturingMarjorie Harness Goodwin and Charles Goodwin 9. StressRena Repetti, Darby Saxbe, and Shu-wen Wang 10. Health as a Family MatterLinda C. Garro 11. Time for FamilyTamar Kremer-Sadlik 12. The Good Enough FamilyElinor Ochs and Tamar Kremer-Sadlik Appendix: The CELF Study References List of Contributors Index