Seven Year Itch

                                                                                               I found this article http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110803/WIRE/108031092 on the front page of the Press Democrat earlier this week regarding the phenomenon commonly known as the "seven year itch", meaning the trend in the United States (noted in census data) starting in the 1950's for couples to divorce after about seven years of marriage. The author notes, as has John Gottman, that the transition to parenthood is often a factor involved in these divorces (census data also shows a cluster of divorces after about 20 years of marriage, but these seem to be associated more with the "empty nest" and transition to retirement). We strongly advise new parents to read the book And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives by John and Julie Gottman. This book and the workshop, Bringing Baby Home (www.bbhonline.org) can be very helpful to couples making the transition to parenthood.

Mike Basta