I feel it important for families to have regular meals together. One of my best childhood memories was dinner wih my parents and two sisters. As a result, last year I decided that the entire family would have dinner together three days a week. Because my hushand and I both work and our three kids are busy with school activities, we could harlly have a chance to get together as a family. But we thought it possible for everyone to set aside three evenings a week for a sit-down dinner.

First we tried setting three fixed days for our experiment — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After trying the plan some weeks, almost everyone was unhappy. Then my son had the idea of having everyone post his or her schedule for the week on the fridge every Sunday. I would choose the three best days.

For a while, the kids continued to resist (抵触) the idea, saying they would rather spend the time with their friends or joining in sports or other activities. But with time going on, they began to see these evenings together positively. We discussed each other’s problems. We made vacation plans. We laughed a lot. Months later, anyone who had to miss a family meal felt regretful.

We all now feel that we’ve been able to build stronger relationships within the family and communicate better. The idea of having regular family meals together, which seemed difficult at first, has brought about many positive changes in our lives.

Nowadays, family life has become even more challenging than before. Then, how can we create a happier family life? Let’s see some advice.

Enjoy togetherness. When children are babies, parents are advised to spend one-on-one time with their babies. 【小题1】 This can be a big mistake since enjoying each other’s company (陪伴) is one of the easiest ways for families to create lasting happiness. Parents should regularly spend quality time with their children doing activities together like playing games, sports.

【小题2】 Although the Internet has certainly made communication easier, it is still important to have face-to-face time with your family members. Try to avoid using your cell phone so much. 【小题3】 Many families have regular meetings where they discuss issues affecting (影响) the family. This can be a great way to start talking face to face. You can talk about your family’s values, or how you can work together as a group to solve problems that affect the family. 【小题4】

Plan fun activities as a family. This can be something that you do once or twice a month, or even once a week. This can be something as easy as going to the beach, a park, or going on a trip to visit relatives. 【小题5】 Doing the activities regularly can help you build stronger relationships with your family members, and relieve (释放) stress that many families feel.

This Sunday is grandpa’s birthday. The Smith family are going to celebrate it at home, so they will have a busy weekend.