Listowel Resources – Relationships

Babyproofing Your Marriage By: Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O’Neill & Julia Stone

Babyproofing Your Marriage takes on the most contentious issues: the tit-for-tat arguments over the division of labor (scorekeeping), managing the demands of the in-laws and outlaws, the oxymoron of the family vacation, and perhaps that most combustible of all post-baby squabbles – the dwindling sex life (otherwise known as the Hound Dog/Ice Queen Vortex). It gets to the heart of why men and women see things so differently (He thinks, "Hey, look at me -- I'm doing a great job, taking care of the baby on a Sunday morning and letting my wife sleep in!" She thinks, "God, he does such a half-ass job – sipping his coffee and reading the paper while our son is sitting in a water-balloon diaper watching Baby Einstein on repeat play!") -- in the name of building mutual understanding and finding that elusive path to compromise (and maintaining a sense of humor on four hours sleep a night).

(The) Dad's & Daughters togetherness guide - 54 fun activities to help build a great relationship - by Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly provides practical, playful and hands-on ways  to build  a stronger relationship with your daughter and have fun while you're at it. 

Happily Married with Kids:  It's NOT Just a Fairy Tale - by Carol Ummel Lindquist

How to overcome the stress of having a new baby, adjust to your new roles, and enjoy it!

How to Raise a Family on Less Than Two Incomes: The Complete Guide to Managing Your Money Better So You Can Spend More Time With Your Kids - by Denise Topolnicki

Using her expertise in the area of money, this mother writes about how she learned to control where their money went so she could work part-time.

I Love You Rituals - Fun Activities for Parents and Children - by Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D.

This book offers more than seventy delightful rhymes and games that send the message of unconditional love and enhance children’s social, emotional, and school success.  Winner of a 1999 Parent’s Guide Children’s Media Award, these positive nursery rhymes, interactive finger plays, soothing games, and physical activities can be played with children from infancy through age eight.  In only minutes a day, these powerful rituals prime a child’s brain for learning, help him cope with change, enhance attention, cooperation, and self-esteem as well as helping busy families stay close.   Easy to learn and especially effective in stressful situations, I Love You Rituals gives parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers inspiring tools to help children thrive.

I’d Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper – loving your marriage after the baby carriage - By: Trisha Ashworth & Amy Nobile

You need this book if…

You spend more time with Mr. Potato Head than your husband

You rank sex below clipping your child’s fingernails, calling your in-laws and showering

You’re psyched when your husband goes on a business trip because you won’t have to shave your legs

You’ve fantasized about spraining your ankle just so you can spend some quiet time in the emergency room

Your last "date-night" was… when you were dating.

Liking The Child You Love – Build A Better Relationship with Your Kids – Even When They’re Driving Your Crazy – By: Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD

Do you feel like you’re at the end of your rope? Are you exhausted by your kids arguing over every little thing? Finally there’s a name for your feelings: "Parent Frustration Syndrome" (PFS). No kid is perfect, but parents often don’t realize just how much their own thoughts, rather than their children’ s behavior, contribute to being emotionally overwhelmed.

Loving Each One Best - A Caring and Practical Approach to Raising Siblings - by Nancy Samalin

This book offers a guide for coping for parents with more than one child. The author reveals how other parents have coped and offers creative solutions to problems ranging from sibling rivalry to getting kids to go to bed on time. The book also addresses the parents’ feelings as well as the children’s.

Mending The Broken Bond – By: Dr. Frank Lawlis

Mending the Broken Bond, Dr Lawlis turns his expertise to another important subject: How to recover an emotional bond between parent and child.

This book teaches parents how to:

Channel a child’s energy

Communicate clearly and effectively

Learn how and when to forgive

Be the role model a child needs

And more…

The Baffled Parent's Guide to Sibling Rivalry - by Marian Edelman Borden

This guide presents the benefits of sibling arguments, the issues that siblings face, the effect of age differences and the importance of spending quality time with each child.

When Two Become Three – Nurturing Your Marriage After Baby Arrives By: Mark E. Crawford, PhD

Children put a strain on even the strongest marriages.  In When Two Become Three, husband, father and clinical psychologist Dr. Mark E. Crawford offers you insight and advice on dealing with the effects a child can have on your marriage.

With whit and a highly readable style, Dr. Crawford shows you how to handle conflicts, how to work together as new parents, and how to draw closer to one another as you bond with your little one.  He explores how men and women react in different ways when baby arrives.  And he shows you how to make your marriage a priority despite your new responsibilities.