If you cannot do this every night, do it as often as you can. Try to make it a priority. Family dinners, even if they are full of confusion and little spats, glue families together. They provide an informal forum for general discussion, as well as a stage where everyone can perform. Know the rules of your house and make sure everyone else in the family knows them, too.
Rules are actually very stabilizing, at least when they are fair and are enforced consistently.
They cut down on unnecessary struggles. The truth is that all families have rules, whether they consciously know them or not. It is much easier to enforce a rule that has been stated in advance than to enforce one you have made up on the spot. Sit down over your family dinner and spell out your rules. Keep them simple and few.