cover image Happily Married with Kids

Happily Married with Kids

Carol Ummel Lindquist. Berkley Publishing Group, $14 (368pp) ISBN 978-0-425-19395-2

""The current high standards for parenting lead to low standards for marriage,"" contends clinical psychologist Lindquist in one of this book's more provocative chapters (""When and Why Benign Child Neglect is Good""), and here she informs parents how to reconnect and stay connected through the tough times. It's not difficult to reclaim a balanced relationship, emphasizes Lindquist, if you give your marital bond as much consideration as your children's well-being. She raises issues ranging from having an affair to traveling with the kids and delineates roles and rules for both children and parents. Spiced up with pertinent comic strips and real-life examples, Lindquist's highly readable, informative work will appeal to those who are looking to reestablish their lost matrimonial love.