What are your top tips for making family life work ?

1. Separate bathrooms

1. Not taking each other too seriously

1. Putting the marriage on equal par to children.

(21 years together so far!)

Wow ironing and wrestling. impressive. My Dh does bugger all but he does produce Gin and Tonics each evening and tell me I am beautiful and a great mum. I forgive him everything then. He is talented at skiving, and flattery.

So another tip. Use lots of flattery to get your own way.

Cherish - deffo
Pick your battles - is it REALLY worth it?
Give and take (usually DH gives, I take!)
Never EVER EVER go to sleep on an argument, even if it means screaming talking at 2am to get things resolved

Communication is a big thing for me, as soon as the communication lines start to fall, we need to work hard at getting things back on track.

I am only here on MN now as I am a Wrestling Widow tonight, but again thats compromise, he gets to watch wrestling for 3hrs tonight, but he is doing the ironing while he does it.

Absolutely Flum, that is what I keep telling my husband

Yes keep the shagging going, if if you reeeeeeaaaaallly don't want to. it will be much better than you think, u might even enjoy it

Be nice

Also v much agree with the shagging advice (was put better than that)

WilfSell v. good points

Also very much agree with ice-cream in the freezer

Everything is much better with ice-cream

Yeah Pewsey does have a great club. You are such a yummy mummy aren't you, tennis club and everything.

My other major tip is let DP do whatever he wants whenever he wants as long as there is enough money for you to be happy. If there ain't he must knuckle down and get a better job or do some chores to make up for making the family suffer

anna, are you taking the piss? if so, v v funny. if not, i am speechless (and not with admiration, just speechless).

I agree with Cod re cherishing.

pewsey ahs a nice one.
we tour them atm

cherish thrash the slackers to within an inch of their lives.

Would you even believe that Marlborough does not have a tennis club, well it does have a club but no courts!

Anyway he is a Real Tennis and Rackets bloke. Have you forgotten quite how posh he is. AT home cards, kitchen suppers blardy blar.

we have a weekend cottage on the moon but rarely make it there as so busy taking Tarquin and Tabitha to parties, drama and chess club.

Have been out of action having beer-covered laptop 'fixed'...

Chicken, you are fish-flavoured I assume?

yes cherish the life oyu leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeead

Message withdrawn

yes games are good
we play games like
" is sveryone int eh maccyds drive through fat"
or " whose marriage is doomed to fail"

we are kind liek that

Do the boring stuff together then you can keep your relationship going while keeping the other stuff going.

Laugh at pretty well everything if you can.

Keep some decent ice-cream in the freezer.

When all else fails, we sometimes play Shutuppayourface to put things into perspective. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to my neighbours for this, but it works for us.

my major tip is this

cherish

relaly! cherish each other

alternate lie ins

alcohol

compromise

10 Rules For Sanity in Families:

1. Nobody must talk to me before my 3rd cup of tea

1. Must marry a man who cooks and is less slovenly than I (tick)

1. Must have a trampoline for throwing many boys on and locking zip when war is breaking out

1. Must have NO commute (tick)

1. Must have a job to keep sane and accomplish things and have own money

1. Must learn good cop, bad cop routine

1. Despite all appearances, must try to remember children are actually human

1. Despite all appearances, must try to remember parents are actually in charge

1. Something has to give (sex and appearance OK if humour and conversation still there. Can get one or more back when getting more sleep)

10. Above all, at least try and be polite. And if you can't, be funny. General rule that works in most situations I find.

Message withdrawn

flum is dh at marlborough tennsi club