"Being a new parent can be the most rewarding time of your life, but it can also be a completely overwhelming experience," says Sharon Fried Buchalter, known as "Dr. Sharon," a distinguished clinical psychologist based in Florida and author of New Parents Are People Too: 8 Secrets to Surviving Parenthood as Individuals and as a Couple (People Too Unlimited, 2008). "Raising children is the most important job you will ever have, and it is one that comes without a training manual."

As a pregnant new mother, Gayle Laper of Somerset, N.J., didn't know what to expect. She discovered Dr. Sharon's book when she was 8 months pregnant. She and her husband read it together and practiced the self-coaching exercises. "I truly don't think we would have been as prepared for parenthood and the new baby if we didn't read this book," Laper says. "We actually refer to it often and call it our 'Parenting Bible.'"

"When you combine self-coaching and parenting skills, you arm yourself with the tools to understand your behavior and see how your actions affect your relationships," Dr. Sharon says.

The "8 secrets" for a successful family life are an important part of this journey. Welcome to parenthood, new parents! And her are a few secrets for you.

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