What are your top tips for making family life work ?

Oh right

So, are we all following the assumption that everyone has a "parenting partnership".

Nice. I suppose you aren't looking for tips from all us single parents then? Or is there already the assumption that we don't make family life work?

Sky Plus costs us £17 a month, so my advice would be get Sky Plus, its cheaper than a cleaner and does much to improve family harmony.

You can have it all but only if you have enough help -

a cleaner
a gardener
an aupair

and sharing the chores

Oh yes, make time for yourself, be it a pedicure or a night out with mates. Do what makes you feel really happy and relaxed. For me, it's a cappuccino or two and the paper for an hour or so in a local cafe after Friday nursery drop off.

Feed and rest your children properly and they are much nicer (they need feeding more regularly than you'd believe)
Expect and insist on your partner being fair in how much time he puts into the family. Ideally discuss this seriously before you have children.
Daddies do bathtimes while mummies drink wine. Lovely bonding time for daddies, mental health time for mummies.
Don't work all hours.
Be flexible
Think before you say no to your children. DO you really need to say no?
All be polite to each other - children learn from example (though the results are not immediately obvious)
Get a cleaner if you can remotely afford it (much more important than, say, Sky Plus)

Lol at PointyDog

Very politically incorrect BUT once children are on the scene, acknowledge that you CAN both have it all but not at the same time [hides from Xenia]

Sunday lunch together is sacrosanct whether it's a roast around the dining room table or a picnic in a field

Be loyal to each other

Agree with Suzy Wong about nagging (I struggle with this one)

Make time for yourself because no-one else will (that applies to all dws, dhs & dps)

Wine for breakfast - and lunch and dinner. And in between meals.

Tired or hungry means badly behaved...

Stick to regular early bedtimes, no late nights as a "treat" as it will not be much of a treat for anyone the next day!

Practice 'the look' before they are wise to the fact you don't actually mean it.

Noting down all your ideas pointydog.

Re: the family uniforms, would you advise a boater or something a little more individual - maybe a top hat?

Listening to each member of the family.

Making sure that as soon as possible everyone can use language to express their emotions and feelings.

Accept that everyone has a right to be fed up at times and let them be. Its not your job to make everyone happy all of the time.

Yes eat together - and that chocolate or icecream are good resources (at anytime) to resolve minor conflicts without any spoken language needed. Everyone tends to feel better afterwards.

Count to ten before losing the plot

If all else fails wine and chocolate

Staff

Buy a large whip

Eat together as a family as much as is physically possible.

Eating together that is.

Don't try to eat as much as is physically possible, that will lead to obesity and constipation.

Give yourselves time not doing anything. Unstructured days when you are still in your pj's at 11am are as important as doing fullfilling and worthy activities.

Our family uniforms help us all toe the line

Online shopping

Our new mission statement has worked wonders for our parenting partnership

I try and be nice to my children. And they seem to be nicer to me.

Constantly looking for new efficiencies on chores and errands.

An annual review and organisational meeting in September (and a mid-year one in January) to plan holidays, time with children etc

have a routine, stick to it. Make all the family aware of it.

Delegate any chores to LOs in return for "reward" (even 22m old puts rubbish in bin/shoes away).

Have a holiday home that you can escape to at the weekend so don't spend your weekends catching up on chores.

Do a massive shop (Costco) every 6 weeks.
Organic delivery of fruit/veg every week (no more visits to the supermarket/waiting for online orders to be delivered).

Have a massive cry every now and then when you're not coping - works well

Having the same ideas about parenting goes without saying - friends have different views, thats fine, their kids - but if DH and I disagree of hwo to handle something I'd struggle with that.

(not that I "chose" DH after he completed a parenting questionnaire of course!)

Ummmmm think before you nag is a good one. It doesn't MATTER that much if he doesn't bath the kids one night, he may be tired/ill/grumpy/wahtever and if its now and again, don't worry about it.

Offer the odd BJ in exchnage for getting up in teh night

Lots of forward planning on objectives (that involves a lot of negotiation and compromise) and then working backwards to optimise execution.