The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework (Hardcover)

~ x Joshua Coleman (Author) "Most of the adults of my generation were raised in some version of a "children should be seen and not heard" era..." (more)
Key Phrases: egalitarian woman, lazy husband, perfectionistic expectations, The Lazy Husband, United States, Ann Crittenden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Finally, a no-nonsense, no-nagging guide for catapulting the man in your life off the couch, out of his cave, and beyond his defensiveness to become more of a team player and loving partner. This is a marriage instruction manual no woman should be without."
- Michele Weiner-Davis, founder of DivorceBusting.com, and author of, The Sex-Starved Marriage and Divorce Busting

"Joshua Coleman's The Lazy Husband is absolutely the best book on the subject to come out in over a decade. Drawing on poignant and often humorous examples from his therapeutic practice, Coleman offers practical advice for women and men that can turn troubled marriages into healthy partnerships. This book is a witty and insightful look at typical dilemmas faced by modern wives and husbands. It will save thousands of marriages!"
- Scott Coltrane, Ph.D Dept of Sociology, U.C. Riverside, and author of Family Man: Fatherhood, Housework, and Gender Equity

"The Lazy Husband is a warm, funny, and informative look at how to solve the universal problem of getting men to do more with the house or kids. I strongly recommend this to any woman who is struggling with this issue."
- Cindy Cashman, bestselling author of Everything Men Know About Women

Product Description

My job is more stressful than your's.
I'm just not very good at domestic stuff.
Your standards are too high.
I never learned how to do this chore.

Have you heard one or more of the above excuses in the past month? Are you sick of your husband's avoidance tactics regarding housework and parenting? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you need this book. The Lazy Husband is a hands-on guide to understanding and changing men's attitudes towards domestic work and childcare. Dr. Joshua Coleman, author and clinical psychologist, understands that a happy marriage is a balanced marriage. And now, in his refreshingly honest and straightforward style, Coleman reveals exactly how women can motivate their husbands to become better partners and better fathers.

By outlining and defining the various types of lazy husbands, Dr. Joshua Coleman teaches women how to understand where their husbands are coming from and enact change. Some Lazy Husband types include:

* The Boy-Husband: This husband wants to be taken care of, and pretends to be incompetent around the house.
* The Perfectionist Husband: This husband wants the house and the kids to look perfect, but doesn't want to do the work himself.
*The Angry Husband: This husband keeps his wife at bay with his irritability, anger, or intimidation.

From here, Coleman develops type-specific plans for change. By following these proactive plans, you too can achieve a happy, well-balanced marriage. Just remember, you can do less by getting your husband to do more.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (January 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312327943
• ISBN-13: 978-0312327941
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #536,412 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, March 3, 2005

By	mom-at-home (flagstaff, arizona) - See all my reviews

I have been desperate to get my husband to help me more with the house and kids and this is the first book I've read that takes the subject seriously. Rather than give the usual simplistic formulas, Coleman looks carefully at the many ways that men can be helped to change their behavior. It's a good read too, entertaining but also really informative.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book in search of a better title, March 22, 2006

By	Rebecca Allen (Brookline, NH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework (Paperback)

Coleman thoroughly reviewed the relevant literature on the transition to new parenthood and how it impacts the marital relationship. That plus his own experience, and from couples he counselled, are the sources for this book, and that wide range shows throughout. Great ideas, wonderful pointers to more good ideas. Coleman aimed this squarely at women and explains why: men aren't that unhappy about the deal they are getting. Most of the book is about what women can do to change themselves to change what they get out of their relationship -- there is some great, detailed information about how to negotiate in a wide variety of situations (unlike Shields admirable _How to Avoid the Mommy Trap_, which really applies in only one kind of marriage). The chapter at the end aimed at men is good, also.

The field can still use more entries, but in the meantime, this is a great place to go for ideas on how to survive being a new parent in a world which is not very supportive of being a new parent, and where marriages suffer as a result.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for new moms!, March 5, 2005

By	Donna (yellow springs, ohio) - See all my reviews

I'm a new mother of twins and recommend this to all women. My husband and I have been having a lot of problems figuring out how to divide the housework and parenting in a way that feels good to both of us. This is the best book I've seen that makes clear suggestions for both people.