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sclowe25's review
5.0
Amazing, amazing, amazing!!!! I loved this book and what it helped me to think about before my little baby is born.
noraconradcom's review
3.0
I've been reading parenting and marriage books while pregnant to prep for our first baby. This one was recommended on my library app and after listening to it, I'm a little disappointed in the content. I feel like these ideas could have been summed up in a blog post rather than an entire book. Most of the chapters were focused on having sex after kids, which I get is important, but the same ideas were repeated over and over and it became really redundant by the end of the book.
nssutton's review
3.0
This wasn’t the best or the worst of the baby books I’ve read so far, but I’ve got some child of divorce issues about this particular topic, so it was really important to me to read this one I’d heard about it. If nothing else, it’s been a great conversation starter as we enter the third trimester. Developing a system division of responsibilities was an important element of our first year of marriage, which quickly went downhill as keeping the couch warm and eating everything in the house rose in priority for me (dishes, meal planning, laundry – less so). Reading this before the baby arrives gave me hope that we will be able to keep our heads on right even with the inevitable sleep deprivation and new challenges.
I wasn’t sure I’d like the style of this book (particularly the italicized made up names for things) going in, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared. The advice felt less hokey than that in The Girlfriends’ Guide, although it followed a similar style by having a wide selection of short, relatable comments and stories from a variety of people in different places. Some reviewers weren’t thrilled with the multiple authors, but I think that brought a more balanced perspective to the story since some of the women stayed at home, while others worked, etc. Often, certain topics are split into female vs. male perspective which both worked and didn’t work for me. For example, all I can think about is the baby and my husband doesn’t bring that 100% OCD level of attention to it, so reading that reflected in print made me realize it’s just a common biological thing. On the other hand, my husband is the domestic boss of us, doing the lion’s share of housework and cooking, so parts that recommended ways for the man to step up (Training Weekend) seemed really harsh for our situation, especially since we’ll both be going back to work.
My takeaways: divide fairly if evenly is not possible and conquer, parenting your children is a season in your life, stay positive with your partner, don’t let the hormones telling you it’s all about the kids make you completely forget your marriage, keep those moments of joy alive. My father-in-law has some great saying about marriage that I have pregnancy brained out, but basically it’s along the lines of the best thing you can give your kids is a happy marriage. This gave solid advice as to how to make that a reality even with all of the things that will crop up.
I wasn’t sure I’d like the style of this book (particularly the italicized made up names for things) going in, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared. The advice felt less hokey than that in The Girlfriends’ Guide, although it followed a similar style by having a wide selection of short, relatable comments and stories from a variety of people in different places. Some reviewers weren’t thrilled with the multiple authors, but I think that brought a more balanced perspective to the story since some of the women stayed at home, while others worked, etc. Often, certain topics are split into female vs. male perspective which both worked and didn’t work for me. For example, all I can think about is the baby and my husband doesn’t bring that 100% OCD level of attention to it, so reading that reflected in print made me realize it’s just a common biological thing. On the other hand, my husband is the domestic boss of us, doing the lion’s share of housework and cooking, so parts that recommended ways for the man to step up (Training Weekend) seemed really harsh for our situation, especially since we’ll both be going back to work.
My takeaways: divide fairly if evenly is not possible and conquer, parenting your children is a season in your life, stay positive with your partner, don’t let the hormones telling you it’s all about the kids make you completely forget your marriage, keep those moments of joy alive. My father-in-law has some great saying about marriage that I have pregnancy brained out, but basically it’s along the lines of the best thing you can give your kids is a happy marriage. This gave solid advice as to how to make that a reality even with all of the things that will crop up.
2catmom's review
5.0
Hilarious book about marriage and kids. wanted to read this before i had kids cuz we all know noone has time to read books like this when there are screaming kids around. very funny and great perspective on being happy in a relationship with kids. the sex chapter is very interesting and insiteful to help the other person understand their spouse.
melissadegraffbooks's review
3.0
Some good ideas, but mostly makes you feel like you're not the only one going crazy since having kids.
karennext's review
4.0
While I was appalled and annoyed that they referred to blow jobs as "five minute marriage fixers"... I thought other valid points were made along the way. It was interesting to get a heads up on what I could face if/when Chris and I decide to have kids.
mayormccheese's review against another edition
fast-paced
0.5
The sole reliance on gender stereotypes make this book feel like it was written 20 years before it was. If you hate your partner and never communicate with them this book might be helpful otherwise you can skip this one. I also don’t know where they managed to find some of the most vile men to interview but please, dear god, i hope to never come across them.
eileen_critchley's review
3.0
One of my biggest concerns with having a baby is how it will impact my marriage. We've been happily married for 10 years and I know this is going to rock our world. This book did give me a few good insights. A few of the things I took away from it: remember that the difficult "baby" phase is only temporary. Remember to understand that your spouse doesn't always (and doesn't have to) do things your way. Be thankful for what he or she does to help out. Divide the labor as much as you can. Remember you are not alone in this, that other couples go through it too. Don't take each other for granted, of course, and make time for each other and yourself. My attitude lately has just been "we'll see how it goes" and "we're going to do the best we can". I really like one line in this book which said something along the lines of "There is no way to be a perfect mother, but there are a million ways to be a good one". This book also made me a little glad that we have decided to probably only have one child. To quote my father "one is like none, two is like ten". The book kind of drove home that point.