Q. My husband and I are constantly fighting. We fight about who gets up when, who is going to get the baby - day or night. We fight about who has done what, who has cleaned what, who's more tired, etc. He doesn't understand that I can barely get anything done during the day by myself ...
Heidi Klum and Seal always seemed crazy about each other. Their love, and delight with their large family, seemed to be the real deal. The news that they are divorcing after seven years of marriage is sad. We all know that celebrity marriages are often not what they appear, that the perfect looking couple on the red carpet gazing into each others eyes might well be giving us all an oscar-winning performance and that they were bickering and calling their respective divorce attorneys on the drive over in the limo.
Google “happiness and having children” and you’ll find a lot of depressing studies that seem to conclude that we have a national epidemic of miserable parents on our hands. While you may not be miserable, we have all, as parents, had those days when we want to run out the front door screaming and hitch a ride to anywhere that Barney, Dora and friends cannot go.
Q: He walked in last night and asked, wait for it…, “Why is this place always such a mess? The least you could do is clean up around here.” I'm more hurt than angry. He never, ever used to say things like that. I don't want to tell my girlfriends about it because I'm embarrassed. He sounds like a chauvinist. I don't want people to think that about him, but maybe he is. Since I quit my job he's always making cracks about the state of the house. I don't get it. He never cared about that stuff when I was working. I guess on some level, they want it all. The housekeeper, the stripper, the mommy, and the career woman. Help!
A: You are wondering, what does my husband expect from me? You both agreed that you are staying home for the baby, so you ask yourself, why isn't he respecting my new role? Then it hits you. He just doesn't get it - he doesn't understand how hard it is to take care of the baby and the house. Right? What you are experiencing is Whiplash, a sense of the modern woman in you hopping on a time machine and hurtling back to the 1950s. What’s more, it can feel like your husband is pushing the button!
Q: I am not exaggerating here, but my husband is a complete SLOB. I asked him out on our 1st date and he answered the door with a mop, so I assumed he knew how to clean. Um, no. We have a 16 month old, and I have a 9 and 10 year old from a previous marriage. I clean up WAY more than I should be. When I ask my kids to clean their room, they do. They know NOT to shed their toys/books/clothes anywhere but their rooms.
 | Babyproofing Your Marriage is available for
purchase through the following resellers: |
How Jay Z and Beyonce Can Baby Proof Their Marriage
Gwyneth Paltrow, “The Good Wife,” or a Good Partner?
Why Brad and Angelina’s Kids Want More