Working Family Values

The second episode in the four-part PBS-aired series Livelyhood, this charming tape examines six success stories in America's quest to "make a living while having a life," and provides a partial answer to the late-twentieth-century question, "If Mom and Dad are at work, who's taking care of the kids?" (That's the 5 million kids who are home alone every day while their parents work more hours than folks did in the ‘60s, for less real pay.) Winningly interviewed by humorist Will Durst, the tape's subjects include First Tennessee Bank, which went from having a "if-you're-late-3-times-you-will-be-fired-even-if-one-of-your-‘occasions'-involves-your-own-heart-attack" policy, to adopting a generous Family Matters program attuned to the realities of working parents. Also, viewers will meet Dave Maxson, who started a day care center in his home in order to spend time with his children; and an entrepreneurial mother/daughter team who try to restore traditional family meal times by making home-cooked meals directly for their clients' freezers. Highly recommended for its inspirational style, breezy-yet-informative script, and emphasis on the creative American spirit that sees a need and concocts a solution. The other episodes in the series are Shift Change, Our Towns and Honey, We Bought the Company. Aud: P. (K. Glaser)