7 things lower middle class families did every single Sunday in the 1980s that cost almost nothing but created the kind of closeness wealthy families spend thousands trying to manufacture now - Silicon Canals

"Growing up in a working-class neighborhood outside Manchester in the 1980s, my family had something that today's wealthy families desperately try to buy: genuine connection. Every Sunday followed a rhythm that cost almost nothing but created bonds I now realize were priceless. I've watched friends spend fortunes on family retreats, hire "connection coaches," and schedule quality time like business meetings."

"Sunday mornings started with my mother pulling out ingredients for a proper roast. Not from fancy shops, mind you. Just basic vegetables from the market and whatever meat was on special that week. But here's what made it different from today: everyone had a job. My sister peeled potatoes while I set the table. My father, home from the factory, would handle the heavy lifting, moving pots and checking the oven."

Sundays centered on preparing a proper roast together using basic market ingredients. Everyone had assigned tasks, from peeling potatoes to handling heavy pots, creating shared work and conversation. The multi-hour process fostered storytelling, planning, and uninterrupted presence without phones or rushing. Modern families often opt for takeout or staggered meals, trading chaotic kitchen moments for convenience and losing opportunities to learn cooperation and pass down family stories. Attempts to purchase connection through retreats, coaches, or scheduled events rarely reproduce the spontaneous bonds formed by simple, repeated rituals of daily life.

Read at Silicon Canals