Happily Married With Kids

Nora Ephron said that "having an infant is like tossing a hand grenade into a marriage." Carol Ummel Lindquist, who has spent twenty-five years as a marital therapist, agrees wholeheartedly. She says that sixty-seven percent of couples with children are less happy than they were before kids--largely because of unrealistic expectations. Some of Lindquist's advice seems simplistic ("Try to go one hour, one day or one week without criticizing anything,") but perhaps simple is the best place to start for couples trying to function on four hours of sleep. Happily Married With Kids has chapters on constructive fighting, how to find quality childcare, and ways couples can revitalize a lackluster sex life. While the topic of new-parenthood has been covered before, this is still a worthy reference for couples short on sleep and patience, but desperately in need of quick solutions to bring the fun and connection back to their marriage. --Erica Jorgensen