The Stuff of Family Life looks at the changing world of families through a unique examination of their stuff. The book takes readers through phases of family life, examining our choices about spaces and objects.

Families, home spaces, and objects : welcome mats and windows -- From childhood to adulthood : stuffed animals, blankets, and wall posters -- Couplehood : love letters and beds -- Parents and children : family photo albums and LEGO bricks -- Gender and household division of labor : toolboxes and spices -- Home and paid work intersections : work bags and calendars -- Separated families : sofa beds, laptops, and cell phones -- Beyond single (nuclear) families : dining tables and dishes -- Families, homes, and social change : toilets and showers -- Epilogue : spatial, material, and social boundaries for families : fences and pathways.