Too Tired to Fight

Description

How couples with kids can transform 13 common relationship fights into closer connection, from popular Instagram counselors Erin and Stephen Mitchell (@couples.counseling.for.parents).

Parenting changes a couple’s relationship in fundamental ways, but most parents are too exhausted from the demands of life, work, and engaging their kids to prioritize their relationship. This can lead to repeated conflict and an overwhelming sense of anxiety, anger, hurt, and loneliness…just when you need your partner’s support the most. The good news: conflict is actually a sign that you are trying to connect with your partner—you’re just stuck in an old pattern of communication.

In Too Tired to Fight, Erin and Stephen Mitchell use their 20-plus years of counseling experience to walk couples through the 13 conflicts that are not just normal but necessary to keep a partnership strong once kids enter the picture, including:

• The “Your Parenting Is Wrong” Conflict
• The “I’m More Tired Than You” Conflict
• The “Stop Choosing Your Family Over Ours” Conflict
• The “Sex Life? What Sex Life?” Conflict

In each scenario, they show how this conflict plays out—and offer scripts, questions for reflection, and their tried-and-true Conflict to Connection Equation that couples can use in the moment to communicate true repair and resolution. Their secret: by expressing your feelings and intentionally listening to your partner—not just venting or reacting to your stress-response system—you can work through the “pain points” of parenthood together and actually make your relationship happier and healthier as a result.“A groundbreaking, insightful book that reframes how parents in relationships view conflict. Erin and Stephen Mitchell break down the 13 conflicts that parent couples should—and must—have to create a stronger relationship and family unit in a such a fun and engaging way. Their invaluable Conflict-to-Connection equation used in real-time fights works wonders, and their scripts and questions for reflection are perfect tools to take with you on your parent-couple journey. This should be required reading for all parents in relationships!” —Michele Borba, Ed.D. author of Thrivers: Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine

“Your fights will never be the same after reading this book. You will learn how to transform these inevitable moments of conflict into opportunities for better communication, intimacy, and connection. You will also get the tools, insights, and scripts you need to turn this novel approach to conflict into a lasting habit.” —Kaley Klemp and Nate Klemp PhD, authors of The 80/80 Marriage: A New Model for a Happier, Stronger Relationship

“Too Tired to Fight is a hopeful, practical, relationship-saving resource that every parenting couple needs. Erin and Stephen have given us a gold mine of relatable stories, helpful insights, practical tools and loving scrips to navigate the sacred and often complex terrain of holding on to each other while we simultaneously raise our children.” —Eli Hardwood, author of Securely Attached: Transform Your Attachment Patterns into Loving, Lasting Romantic Relationships Erin and Stephen Mitchell are the cofounders of Couples Counseling for Parents, a company focused on providing access to research-informed, psychologically sound online education for couples. Both have a clinical education—Stephen, a PhD in medical family therapy, and Erin, a master’s degree in counseling psychology—and they have a combined 23 years of experience providing counseling and education. They have been married for 15 years and have three kids.US

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