Kid Daze is Dazzled!

I recently read a book that I think is just fantastic. It is called Babyproofing Your Marriage by Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone. Now, my husband and I are Christians and have been to marriage retreats, marriage groups, marriage conferences, read all the books, been there and bought the t-shirt. Yet we still are on the quest to make our marriage something we are thrilled about rather than something we are surviving through. The one thing we never got from any of our Christian resources is exactly what Babyproofing Your Marriage, or BPYM for short, nails succinctly within its 285 pages. Once you have children, your lives change in ways no one really wants to admit to. (chapter four - The "Sex Life" of New Parents, Coitus Non-existus, among others)

BPYM covers so many of the real life issues that parents face and help you understand that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Here are some examples from the BPYM Glossary of Terms:

The BPYM Call to Inaction - A plea to mothers everywhere to embrace lower standards and end the Uber-Mama insanity. The movement's manifesto includes calls to a) abolish Open House Overdrive (e.g. setting out fresh flowers before play dates) and b) limit the contents of all birthday party goodie bags to a Sticker and a Fruit Snack.

Marriage on Autopilot - This is the most common marital state for couples parenting small kids; we're not quite asleep at the controls, but no one is actively flying the plane. The "deep and meaningfuls" are gradually replaced by "time to make the donuts" repetition and routine.

Mommy Brain - The sizable portion of a mother's brain that is consumed with both the day-to-day and long-term minutiae of parenting: carpool logistics, doctors' appointments, a toddler's social development and potty-training progress. There is little mental real estate left over for her husband or herself.

Whiplash - The sensation experienced by many stay-at-home moms that they have been yanked out of the 21st century, and hurled back in time to the 1950's where they have to cope with gender inequality and never-ending, unappreciated housework.

All of these get covered in depth in the book along with many, many more. While there are definitely some ideas mentioned in this book that will not be considered acceptable by Christians, they are not specifically the suggestions of the authors. They typically are quotes from other real parents talking about things they have done/do to deal with married life as a parent. There is also language used that could be offensive. I just wanted to be forthright in these issues because I believe that most parents, especially of young children, will find this book enlightening and helpful. It also helps that it is written with a lovely dose of humor to make the revelations easier to swallow.

All in all, Kid Daze gives it a two thumbs up, must read rating. Now, if you'll excuse me, the kids are in bed and I have a date with my husband!