Birth Order Blues: How Parents Can Help their Children Meet the Challenges of their Birth Order
Order of birth, sex of child, years between children, number of parents at home, range of natural or step-siblingsAthe combinations influencing family dynamics are endless. Wallace, a social worker and family therapist, helps parents understand how these factors influence family life. She describes these many variables through the case study of a growing family, adding insight on how parents can help get past conflict to a measure of family harmony. She also describes twins and the only child. Wallace sees birth order as one aspect among many influencing personality. She supports the theories put forth by Frank Sulloway in his extensive, well-researched Born To Rebel (Pantheon, 1996) but centers on the parents' role in alleviating family "blues." Recommended.ALinda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.