I don't know about you, but I will be one happy camper when this election is over. It's not that I don't appreciate lively, heated debates or the rollercoaster-like effect of the unpredictable twist and turns in the polls or even the fact that politics has pre-empted any chance of simply casual, non-partisan conversation with friends. No, that's the stuff we're supposed to be doing prior to what could be one of history's most important elections. That's not my problem.

My problem is this- there are four people in my family, my husband, my 28-year-old daughter, 22-year-old son and me, and we are a Bipartisan Family. (In some ways, there is no point in voting because our votes cancel each other out. One boy and one girl on each team. Just kidding, I'll vote.) To make matters worse, we're all competitive, opinionated and passionate about our views. Suffice it to say, this has made for many "animated" conversations over family dinners. We usually manage to keep things in check and finish our meal on speaking terms- and believe me, that is no small feat.

However, this upcoming election has brought out the worst in my husband and me. It's probably because there is so much at stake. Although I have tolerated our differences fairly well in the past, an opposing viewpoint on these candidates, about these issues, at this time feels simply untenable. Doesn't he know better?

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Mom and Pop Go Over the Top

Marriage and Family scholar Bill Doherty cautions against "helicopter parenting"

The mark of a good parent in today's world is personal chauffeuring rather than group carpooling, cheering loudly from the sidelines at all games, advocating with coaches for their child's playing time, and backing away from any activity (such as family dinners and PTA meetings) that conflicts with year-round sports schedules that rival those of professional athletes. The top-rated parents become agents for their children's sports careers; average parents just try to keep their balance in a world that rewards excess.

This is all part of a larger trend toward what psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld has termed "hyper-parenting" and what others have labeled "helicopter parenting." Fed by understandable anxiety about success in a competitive world, middle-class parents spare no time or expense in enhancing their child's developmental edge, beginning with in utero sound waves and then with Baby Einstein products. "Black Hawk parents" (or now "pit bull parents") criticize slackers on their child's team, attack coaches for depriving Jason or Samantha of their rightful playing time and aggressively go after the opponents -- the young children on the other team. Ridiculing a highly paid professional athlete is a privilege that comes with the price of the ticket, but trying to unnerve a 9-year-old pitcher or goalie -- that's what pit bull parents do to show their devotion to their offspring. A few even assault other parents, referees or coaches.

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It's a Healthy Marriage of Faith and Filmmaking

Fireproof prop, the "Love Dare" journal is a big seller

An almost all-volunteer cast and crew, including a star who was an 80's teen heartthrob, and a plot about a firefighter who saves his marriage by turning to God - it hardly sounds like a recipe for box office success, let alone a best-selling book. But that's what the film "Fireproof" has spawned.

In the film Mr. Cameron plays Caleb Holt, a type-A firefighter who rescues children from burning buildings but whose marriage is close to ruin. As he is about to go forward with a divorce, his father steps in and gives him a book called "The Love Dare," a 40-day challenge that teaches married couples to use Scripture to learn to love unconditionally.

The book, as in the movie, is structured as a 40-day plan for revitalizing a struggling marriage. Each day starts with a quotation of Scripture and a short lesson like "Love is patient" or "Love is not irritable."

Marketing for the movie, as well as heavy promotion at chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders have helped fuel sales of the book. It is also selling strongly at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, said John Thompson, senior vice president of marketing for B&H, who added that there were 600,000 copies in print. According to Nielsen BookScan the book has sold 6,000 copies, although that does not represent sales in places like Wal-Mart. "The Love Dare" was No. 4 on The New York Times advice, how-to and miscellaneous paperback best-seller list on Oct. 12.

To read the complete article by Julie Bloom of the New York Times, click here.