It’s the Holy Grail of parenting: how to run a happy, healthy, harmonious household without losing your mind in the process.
Now a new study has revealed the key to domestic bliss involves banning mobiles from the dinner table, family nicknames, two bathrooms – oh, and good WiFi.
A poll of 2,000 parents, commissioned by Hollywood Bowl, has revealed the formula to a happy family life includes at least 12 hours of quality family time a week and two holidays each year.
Getting out of the house as a family, enough bedrooms so that no-one has to share and regular date nights for mum and dad (without the kids) are also important.
A sofa big enough for everyone to sit on, regular family film nights and taking part in a fun family activity together are also key to a happy home.
But while nearly eight in 10 families say they manage to achieve some family bliss, only 15 per cent would say they are doing so on a regular basis.
The answer? Try to incorporate as much of these as possible into your daily life (or at least as many as you can afford!).
TOP 50 SECRETS TO DOMESTIC BLISS
- Always eating evening meals together as a family
- Family movie nights at the cinema
- Regular hugs/affection in the family
- Getting out of the house as a family
- Regular holidays
- The occasional meal out as a family
- Quality time together as a family on a week night after school/work
- Banning phones/tablets at the dinner table
- Good/fast Wi-Fi
- A Sunday dinner together as a family
- Knowing when someone in the family needs their own space
- One-on-one time with each of the children
- At least two bathrooms
- Cooking a meal together/with the family
- Not rowing in front of the child/children
- No secrets in the family
- A regular family film night at home
- A sofa big enough for everyone in the family to sit on
- A cat or dog
- A second/spare TV
- Regular date nights for Mum and Dad without the children
- Enough bedrooms that everyone in the family can have their own
- A weekly/monthly takeaway treat
- A space in the home to go when you need time to yourself
- A large kitchen
- Grandparents/other family living nearby
- A dishwasher
- A spare room
- A large TV in the front room
- Always having a fun activity planned as a family for the weekend, such as bowling
- A tumble drier
- A family board game night
- A lock on the bathroom door/s
- At least one iPad/tablet
- A cupboard topped up with treats
- A Netflix account
- Catch up TV
- Equal pocket money for the child/all the children
- More than one car
- Recordable TV
- Family nicknames
- A kids’ play room
- The child/children each having their own TV and games console in their rooms
- A shared taste in music
- A cleaning rota
- An Xbox
- An evening/period of time where you ban all use of phones/gadgets etc
- A man cave for Dad
- Multiscreen/subscription services in different rooms of the house
- All of the family supporting the same sports team