Lucy Riles - Mom vs. Dad

Copyright 2020 by Tom Riles & Lucy Riles

Cover design by Kristin Ingebretson

Cover illustration by MDI

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First Edition: November 2020

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Riles, Lucy, author. | Riles, Tom, author.

Title: Mom vs. Dad : the not-so-serious guide to the stuff were all fighting about / Lucy Riles and Tom Riles. Description: First edition. | Nashville : Worthy, 2020.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020022706 | ISBN 9781546036890 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781546036876 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: ParentingMiscellanea. | ParentsAttitudes. Classification: LCC HQ755.8 .R5319 2020 | DDC 306.874dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020022706

ISBN: 978-1-5460-3689-0 (hardcover), 978-1-5460-3687-6 (ebook), 978-1-5491-5764-6 (downloadable audio)

E3-20200930-JV-NF-ORI

All too often, bickering couples turn molehills into mountains. In Mom vs. Dad, Tom & Lucy Riles prove that the view is better, and usually funnier, from the molehill. I think this book deserves a hashtag: #BickerBest

Tom Bergeron, TV host and veteran husband

A true to life, humorous peek of his side/her side that will bring smiles and laughter to your heart. It confirms what Ive always said, men are strange and women are weird Youll love it.

Dr. Kevin Leman, New York Times bestselling author of Sheet Music and Have a New Kid by Friday

Tommy and Lucy just get it. Ive always said, parenting is the hardest job on the planet, and marriage is the next toughest. These two have the ability to make you laugh and feel validated at the same time. Mom vs. Dad is an amazing book that proves parenting is a contact sport.

Meredith Masony, founder of Thats Inappropriate and Filter Free Parenting

In Mom vs. Dad, Lucy and Tom Riles bring an entertaining and conversational approach to exploring the everyday challenges we face as partners and as parents. Theres plenty of heart and humor in the real-life situations they explore, from sharing meals to sharing a phone charger. The result is a book thats eminently relatable, always thought-provoking, and reads like a fun conversation with friends.

Carrie and John Pacini, co-founders, Mom 2.0 & Dad 2.0

What a fun and refreshing read this was for my wife and I! Lucy and Tom bring a relatable sensibility, hilariously covering topics which ALL OF US bicker about.

Hey babe, dont touch the laundry that I LAY ON TOP OF THE HAMPER. Im not sure whether its dirty or clean, so please just leave it alone!

Sorry about that. Im back. So yeah, you should totally go buy Mom vs. Dad; its like comedy and family therapy all in one!

Taylor Calmus, creator of Dude Dad and host of Super Dad on the Magnolia Network

Watching Lucy and Tom take the gloves off and bicker with one another from a place of love and respect is not only endearing, but HILARIOUS. Every fight or disagreement in this book is something that my wife and I have locked horns on more than once! Use it for a good laugh with your partner, topics of discussion over dinner with other couples, or maybe even a way to address that ONE thing your spouse does that absolutely drives you nuts Mom vs. Dad opens the door to achieving marital bliss maybe.

Adrian Kulp, author of bestselling Were Pregnant! The First-Time Dads Pregnancy Handbook and founder of award-nominated parenting blog Dad or Alive

Tommy and Lucy Riles for sure have a camera set up in our house! We laughed hysterically at the relatability of each topic. If youre looking to enjoy a good read with your spouse that includes a little lighthearted banter, its Mom vs. Dad.

Chris and Lindsay Balmert, Team Balmert

Finally, Tommy and Lucy Riles have come up with the definitive rule book concerning parenting. This unintentional sequel to the groundbreaking book The Joy of Sex could easily have been called The Misery of Kids. In this comprehensive and hilarious contest for the title of head of the household, they lay out the terms for the ultimate battle of Mom vs. Dad. And although Im still pretty sure Im going to lose most, if not every argument with my wife, at least now I know why. This should be required reading for any couple who are thinking about having kids.

Jamie Kaler, actor, comic, and creator of The DadLands

To our children, Barbara, Tommy, Scotland, and Katie, thank you for being YOU! We love you more.

We love you most. We love you to the moon and back.

We love you to infinity and beyond. No comebacks.

To our fur babies, Duke and Duchess, thank you for loving all of us on the good days, the bad days, and every day in between.

To our precious angels, our son Scotland and Lucys mom,

Barbara, your souls are a daily reminder for us to do better, love deeper, and always appreciate the gift of life. You will forever live in our hearts until we meet again.

Hello and welcome to Mom vs. Dad: Whose Side Are You On?

Im Tommy.

And Im Lucy.

And weve been married since 2008.

We actually met playing in a coed softball league in LA. I was a veteran player and one of the original members of the league when this rookie strolled on in wearing his orange New York Mets visor. I played catcher, which allowed me to get in the heads of the batters. You see, I may not have had the physical strength to hit a home run, but I had a way to charm the cleats off players. And since the league had a ten-to-one guy-to-girl ratio, the odds were in my favor. I was also from the South Side of Chicago so I was especially good at small talk. Unbeknownst to me, one particular player took notice at the time, I only took notice of his repeated infield pop-ups.

Lucy was the only player to wear a cowboy hat and jean shorts. She was hard to miss. When I stepped up to the plate the first time and saw her, a different mission became my objective. My future wife was playing catcher as I batted, and suddenly the game of baseball didnt matter. I wanted a different type of home run. (Damn, Im smooth!)

It was six months before I even knew who this Mets fan was. But once I did, and after just a few weeks of dating, I knew I had found my future husband and my future childrens father. Within eleven months, we were engaged, and we married eighteen months after that.