Morning. The family would rise early in the morning. The father would greet clients, then head off to visit his patron and to see to any business that he had for the day. Among the lower classes, the father would go to visit his patron and then go to work. If it was a family-owned business, his wife would go as well. The upper-class women would prepare for day. The paedogogue and other slaves would take care of the children, taking them to school or watching them. Since families who owned businesses often lived above or behind the shop, the parents were never far away.

Farm Families. Families living and working on a farm would follow a similar pattern. Fathers would head to the fields or meet with the farm manager. If it were a market day, he might go into...