A review of popular press books and articles for parents published between 1975 and 2000 was conducted to delineate the areas in which the advice given to parents about the transition to a second child is consistent with or diverges from the results of relevant research. Although popular advice reflects available research in certain areas (e.g., encouraging sibling caregiving), research to substantiate other directives (e.g., sibling preparation classes) is lacking. Key research findings about how to promote harmonious sibling relationships often are not represented in popular writings. These results highlight the need for researchers and popular press writers to acknowledge their complementary roles in disseminating information. B abies do not come with instruction manuals. This oversight has led many professionals concerned with child development and family life to create their own treatises on how to raise children. These enterprises have been quite successful, and popular press books are key resources to which parents turn when they are concerned about child-rearing issues. The quality of the advice given in parenting books has not been systematically evaluated, however. This is a critical limitation because it is essential that consumers of this information receive accurate information and recommendations that represent current best practices. In particular, family life educators and other practitioners need to know which types of publications they should consult and recommend, and researchers need feedback about parents' unanswered questions to help guide their future investigations.In this review, we focus on a subset of the literature intended to help parents deal with the challenging tasks associated with welcoming a second child into the family and the initial establishment of a sibling relationship. Our purpose is to systematically delineate the areas in which the advice given to parents on this topic is consistent with or diverges from the results of empirical research. Our goals are to (a) promote the dissemination of accurate, empirically based information through popular literature, (b) help family life educators and other practitioners discriminate between substantiated and unsubstantiated advice and identify effective resources for parents, (c) alert researchers to the critical gaps between research and application, and (d) make specific suggestions about the types of studies needed to advance practice.Schacter and Stone (1987) first raised concerns about the degree to which research-based information about sibling rela-*This research was supported through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We gratefully appreciate the contributions of Cyndy Loula and Debbie Pflasterer.
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