quick clicks

twins today articles

twins today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Just Your Type

Create the Relationship You've Always Wanted Using Personality Type

By Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger

Learn the real reason why your strong quiet type has trouble expressing his feelings. Or why your social butterfly is always flirting... or why the neatnik in your life just can't leave that dirty sock where it is... or why the hopeless romantic really is blinded by the stars in his eyes.

Barbara Barron-Tieger and Paul Tieger explain that it's not gender but personality type -- your natural tendency to be outgoing or quiet, methodical or whimsical -- that rules the way men and women relate. Drawing on 20 years of experience as well as groundbreaking new research, they offer a book filled with practical advice about the relationship you care most about -- your own. Once you have discovered which personality type describes you and your partner (or potential partner) best, you'll recognize your own behavior patters, understand more about your partner's strengths and quirks, and learn how to navigate the frustrations or rewards of your own specific pairing of personality types.

So take heart -- men and women may not be from different planets after all. Whether you're evaluating a new relationship or looking to strengthen the one you have, this savvy guide will provide fresh insight to help you understand and appreciate your partner as never before.

Susan and Jeff thought they were perfect for each other. They met in college, enjoyed some of the same interests, came from similar backgrounds, and married after both had had time to establish their careers. Although they knew they were different in many ways, they felt a powerful attraction that they attributed to those very differences. Jeff was enthusiastic, outgoing and creative; Susan was gentle, down-to-earth and responsible. Each balanced the other's weaknesses, and together they complemented each other's strengths. But a few months after they were married, their bliss began to fade, replaced by a low-grade, constant tension. Susan's traditional nature surfaced. She was a conservative person at heart and wanted a stable, predictable life. Hardworking, quiet and extremely diligent with all her commitments, she planned carefully for the future, saved their money to buy nice things, and was eager to settle down and raise a family in the town where she'd grown up. But Jeff was the quintessential Renaissance man -- constantly reinventing himself and talking about his many creative ideas. A natural entrepreneur who kept busy developing new ventures -- often on a shoestring -- Jeff was outgoing, flexible, insightful about people and curious about new experiences. Far from wanting to settle down, he longed to travel the globe with Susan, learning as much as he could about other cultures. What was initially a strong attraction between Susan and Jeff was slowly becoming an inescapable source of frustration. Susan tried to get Jeff to commit to buying a house in their community, and Jeff tried to get Susan to consider borrowing a friend's camper so they could at least spend some time traveling and exploring the country. Instead of feeling supported and encouraged for his ideas and curiosity, Jeff felt undermined, criticized and stifled. Try as she might, Susan couldn't help but see the practical problems with most of his ideas. Because she couldn't get Jeff to commit to a definite plan, Susan grew increasingly worried about their future and their financial stability.