Babyproofing Your Marriage: How to Laugh More, Argue Less, and Communicate Better as Your Family Grows

Warning! New parents are likely to experience:

Scorekeeping—An exceedingly complex, often relentless, tit-for-tat war waged by husbands and wives over the division of parenting responsibilities and domestic chores.

The Ten O'Clock Shoulder Tap—Considered by many men to be a form of foreplay. A paw on a wife's shoulder is how some men indicate their desire for sex. The Tap is rarely accompanied by a term of endearment or any other verbal form of communication and is seldom well received by the often-sleeping/almost-always-exhausted wife. The frustrated husband, meanwhile, wonders if his wife has pulled a Bait and Switch in the bedroom.

Clash of the Grannies—A high stakes "who will have the greatest influence on the grandkids" tournament played by each set of grandparents. Competitive categories include: the Title Championship (who gets to be called "Grandma"), the Battle for Floor and Wall Space, the Battle for Face Time, and Gratuitous Grandparental Gift-Giving.

The Babyproofers are three women who wouldn't trade their roles as mothers for anything, and they love their husbands deeply. But after living through it and hearing the stories of hundreds of other couples, they know that with young children in the house, you need to block the stairs with baby gates, put plastic covers over the outlets, AND take the necessary steps to safeguard your marriage.

Babyproofing Your Marriage is the warts-and-all truth about how having children can affect your relationship. The authors explore the transition to parenthood in light of their own experiences, with input from their husbands and commentary from men and women across the country. Their evenhanded approach to both sides of the marital equation allows spouses to understand each other in a whole new way.

With loads of humor and practical advice, the Babyproofers will guide first-time parents and veterans alike around the rocky shores of the early parenting years. Don't fall prey to common relationship pitfalls: Babyproof Your Marriage!

Stacie Harris Cockrell graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to receive her MBA from the University of Texas. After graduate school, she was a finance and marketing professional at Dell Inc. and subsequently co-founded a high tech company in Austin, Texas. She currently resides in Austin with her husband, Ross, and their three children.

Cathy O'Neill is from Dublin, Ireland. She moved to the United States, after a five-year transatlantic relationship, to marry her husband, Mike. Cathy is an attorney who now works as a management consultant. She lives in Austin, Texas and has two children.

Julia Stone is a Texas native and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds an MBA from the University of Texas. Julia is a former product manager in the educational services field turned full-time mom. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Gordon, and their two sons.