ITALIANS: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY ! @ 30 Nov 2008

<A href="http://images.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/images/country/italy-map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/italy-country-profile.html&usg=__HSZDGastaMOO9iipI_h1n4KRvH4=&h=378&w=352&sz=48&hl=it&start=6&um=1&tbnid=V3_KVd0-sxvyDM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3DITALIAN%2BFAMILY%2Bgoogle%2Bimmagini%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dit%26rls%3DRNWE,RNWE:2005-16,RNWE:it"><IMG style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height=122 src="http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:V3_KVd0-sxvyDM:http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/images/country/italy-map.jpg" width=114></A>
According to a survey published by Swedish furniture stores IKEA, 86.8% of Italians are satisfied with their family life. 69.6% declared that they enjoy being with their families and 64.4% appreciate sharing the ups and downs of everyday life with family members. Fathers are apparently the ones who enjoy family life most (98.3%) but adolescents between 15 and 19 also said they felt perfectly at ease living within the family unit. The sulky, uncommunicative teenager appears to be the exception, rather than the rule, in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The meddling mother-in-law of legend would also seem to have disappeared. Young couples unable to afford their own separate home live basically in harmony with in-laws who prove to be an invaluable help, especially with child care. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>