Nearly every parent I know bemoans the dinner hour -- they're tired, kids are cranky and needy, and it's difficult to keep everyone happy. What if I told you this could be the best time of your day, a time to really enjoy your family? Here are my top 10 tips for putting enjoyment and family harmony back into the dinner hour:

Find delicious meal ideas with plenty of stuff for the kids to do in the Menu Maker.

1. Share responsibility for all aspects of the meal with your children. That means deciding what you'll eat a day in advance so there's time to shop and prep ingredients without getting frantic. It's best to do this right at the table while you are finishing up dinner. Make your grocery list then, and have kids help by checking the pantry to see what needs to go on the list.
2. Do food shopping with your children to help your family get out of the rut of cooking the same dishes and branch into something new. So as not to overwhelm them, start by asking for meals for three days, having them select three different veggies, meats and starches. When it's their decision they tend to rise to the occasion and pick some new things.
3. Have adolescents help after school by doing simple vegetable prep, grating cheese, starting soup and so on before you get home. At that age, feeling independent is increasingly important. Tap into that need by giving them some real, age-appropriate responsibility for the family meal that will put you several steps ahead when you arrive home. Even peeling potatoes while they listen to music or watch TV can appeal to kids this age.
4. Little children can help under the supervision of the baby sitter as well. Small children can at least help with many kitchen tasks: measuring, grating, peeling, cracking eggs, patting rinsed greens and herbs dry with a cloth, measuring marinades and batters, stirring, tearing salad greens, plucking leaves off herbs ... the list goes on and on. Better yet, if an older child is home supervising a younger child, this will turn into a fabulous exercise in sibling cooperation.