What are your top tips for making family life work ?

[carriemumsnet]

While we wait with bated breath for the results of our work/life balance survey we thought we'd tap you for your top tips on how you make family life work, in terms of work/life balance, family time, sharing responsibilities for children/ house /money etc

How do you make the parenting partnership (great phrase eh? ) work in your house?

Shout a lot and make fairy cakes.

Like Bree but at the other end of the day - we (DH and I) try and eat together even though it will often be 10-10.30pm just so we sit down and talk and spend some sort of time together (but we tend to be evening rather than morning people !).

Bloody hell Bree, at that time of day a conversation between DP and I would go along these lines:

"Umph."
"Mmmmph."
"[sigh] Ummmph."
"[groan] Uhmmmmmm."
"Oh for fuck's sake why do I have to do everything?"
"Mmmmph."

Coffee, in the garden?

[astonished]

I think the trick is to like each other. I like my dp. I think he's a thoroughly decent chap. I am nice to him because I like him. He likes me too and does nice things like cleaning the bird poo off my windscreen without me asking him to.

Also I like my children very much and enjoy spending all my time with them.

(Disclaimer - sadly my daughter doesn't like me very much because I do mean and dispicable things like making her go to bed.)

i ahte " oh we liek weekedns as family time" tossers
how uttely unimaginative
i spend most weekends driving kdis to places
am sure they will suffer hugely

flum is dh at marlborough tennsi club

Message withdrawn

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.

alternate lie ins

alcohol

compromise

my major tip is this

cherish

relaly! cherish each other

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.

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.

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

Message withdrawn

yes cherish the life oyu leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeead

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

Chicken, you are fish-flavoured I assume?

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.

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

pewsey ahs a nice one.
we tour them atm

I agree with Cod re cherishing.

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

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

WilfSell v. good points

Also very much agree with ice-cream in the freezer

Everything is much better with ice-cream

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

Be nice