Happiness is a hug when you get home? We have a pretty clear rule in my family: when someone arrives home, it’s expected that the rest of us will stop what they are doing and greet them at the door, with a hug and at least a hello. Who wants to come home to a house where nobody acknowledges your arrival? Just last week, my eldest son interrupted a facetime with a friend to give his mom a hug when she got in from work – it turns out his friend has just done the same way with his mom. But this small consideration has fallen by the wayside is some busy households: an American study reports that in 40 per cent of arrivals by mom, and 50 per cent by dad, there was no greeting at all: just crickets. “Honey, I’m home,” certainly has an old-fashioned note to it , harkening back to the days when everyone was dutifully waiting for dad walk through the door. Now, in most families, everyone comes home at random times – and usually goes out again in rapid succession. Still, life is short, and a hug at the door takes, what, 30 seconds? That’s 30 seconds to make someone feel like they have come home to a family that values their presence over whatever activity is occupying them at the time. However tight time may be, that seems like a pretty good investment.
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