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A while back Dorling Kindersley sent me a couple of books to try out and write a review on, if I so wished.
Both books are written by Dr Miriam Stoppard, most of you will have heard that name before, she is a famous childcare expert that writes various columns for parenting magazines, she is also quite prolific on tv programmes regarding children.
The first book is Baby Games.

Baby Games helps encourage playing simple games with your baby, included is a finger puppet which the games revolve around.
The finger puppet …

The Undomestic Goddess is written by Sophie Kinsella, yes that’s Sophie Kinsella that also writes the shopaholic series.
I’ve read most of the shopaholic series so I knew this book would be a good read before I turned the first page. It’s written in Sophie’s typically witty and fast moving style with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The story follows a high flying lawyer who makes a mistake and ends up becoming a housekeeper, there are plenty of twists and turns that will keep you up past bedtime …

I finished reading this book a little while ago and to be honest I wasn’t going to bother doing a review because I didn’t really know what to say.
I wasn’t really sure what I got out of the book, although I’m in the perfect demographic that it should help – a worrier that carrys around a lot of emotional baggage. The byline is ‘How to Get Rid of Your Emotional Baggage and Live the Life You Want’, and as I read that byline again now I think perhaps I …

Balancing Priorities

The fact we approach parenthood with such high expectations is not surprising. We are the first generation in human history where ‘having it all’ was not only possible, but what we expected.
This final chapter encourages us to lower our standards and expectations a little and focus more on the proverbial houseplant that is our marriage.

Chapter Quote
We accept that the constraints that come with having kids are part of the deal. Unless we’re holding on to the ‘sell the children to the gypsies’ idea as a reserve option, …

Getting More and Giving In: More kids, more chaos

With each child, the love and joy in our homes increases a thousandfold, but so does the general mayhem.
This chapter focusses on the addition of a second, third or plus (!) child/ren, and how you can expect it to affect your marriage.
I particularly enjoyed the chart presenting what you can expect in terms of time, grandparent participation,and pints of milk per week with each additional child – very funny.
Chapter Quotes

With hindsight, taking care of one child was a hobby.

When faced …

In-laws and Outlaws
“This chapter is about how profoundly our family relationships are altered by a baby and how, in turn, these changes impact on our marriages.”
My own experiences in this area have been very positive. Expectations were discussed well before Erin’s arrival and so far there haven’t been any major issues. I think a lot of it comes down to the parents keeping a relaxed attitude and grandparents being mindful of not taking over (too much).

“Who does the baby look like?” It sounds innocent, but it is actually …

The ‘sex life’ of new parents
Billed as ‘The Most Important Chapter in This Book’, did it live up to the hype?
Well, in a way yes. It was certainly an eye opener, however, it was also the chapter that caused one of my gripes – too much stereotyping. Don’t let that stop you reading the chapter and taking special notes though
If you read nothing else in this book, read this chapter.
I wholeheartedly agree!
The topic of s.e.x is covered with the same level of humour and sensible advice …

What’s the score?
The author/s say this chapter is about ‘the collision of expectation and reality’. Simply put, it’s about the constant scorekeeping and bickering that creeps into a marriage post-partum.
Later on, the chapter turns it’s attention to fixing the problem ‘ripping up the scorcard’. Part of the solution being the ‘divide and conquer’ method. Split all tasks fairly and give full commitment to doing your fair share. Practise a little more give and take over chores and in disagreements (aka a little less nagging for the …

Chapter two covers the ‘shock and awe’ factor that I mentioned in my last post, how men and women feel, and, how to survive the first few months (survive being the operative word!). The byline of the title is ‘Welcome to the Trenches’ – sound familiar?
“It’s been said that having a baby is like throwing a hand grenade into a marriage”
Yup, you can exhale deeply, here’s the lowdown. It is all an act, behind closed doors we are all struggling a little with the whole parenting thingy …

How did we get here?
The first chapter covers (briefly) the various changes (and problems!) new parents face, usually unexpectedly!
It promises to take a balanced viewpoint, which it does throughout

we love our husbands and they love us
This is not a girls’ bitching session
Chapter Quote
An iron curtain of secrecy hides the reality…This Global Conspiracy of Silence means that most of us are ill-equipped to deal with the sea of change that a baby brings.

This is sooo true, I was nodding as I read it! My advice to …