cover image Just Kiss Me and Tell Me You Did the Laundry: How to Negotiating Equal Roles for Husband and Wife in Parenting, Career, and Home Life

Just Kiss Me and Tell Me You Did the Laundry: How to Negotiating Equal Roles for Husband and Wife in Parenting, Career, and Home Life

Karen Bouris. Rodale Press, $14.95 (255pp) ISBN 978-1-57954-760-8

Women seeking to establish equal partnerships with their husbands in their domestic and professional lives should appreciate Bouris's (The First Time)""blueprint for enacting change."" Primarily based on extensive personal interviews, the guide depicts a diverse set of viewpoints that encompass everything from the guilt and anger that can be felt by full-time working moms who also bear the brunt of house and child-care responsibilities, to the sacrifices and rewards that men can find when they undertake the role of house husband. Systematically addressing major aspects of life (e.g., self, children, work and love), the author wisely organizes each chapter so that it can be read as a self-contained essay: a boon to time-constrained readers. While exercises like signing an intention statement to love and respect your partner come off a little stilted at first glance, Bouris's concrete tips for issues such as financially safeguarding stay-at-home parents, valuing personal dreams and goals, and negotiating housework are both valuable and helpful.