Your Family

By DANIEL S. LEVY

THAT'S MY MONEY! If you want to start an argument among the generations in your family, just bring up the latest proposals to fix Social Security. A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Kennedy School of Government and National Public Radio shows that 71% of Americans ages 18 to 29 favor partial privatization of the system. Half of those 65 or older oppose such a move. But 60% of the young and 58% of the elderly agree that Washington hasn't managed the program well.

A MAN'S HOME IS HIS OFFICE If you thought most people working at home were women with kids, you would be wrong. A recent Home Based Employment & Family Life study shows that men account for 59% of those whose office is at home. Typically, such a worker is a 44-year-old man in a field like sales or contracting.

JUST LISTEN The State of Washington's Children study reports that children are far less likely to engage in risky behavior like getting pregnant, dropping out of school or selling drugs if they feel they have the opportunity to share their views with a trusted adult. One way many savvy parents bond with their kids is by turning off the radio and drawing them into conversation during those long drives from school to sports practice or to a piano recital. A study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project shows that the typical mom spends more than an hour a day chauffeuring kids.

--By Daniel S. Levy