Why am I writing about this? I’ve been there— and it was a bumpy ride...
A glimpse of some of the book’s stories and insights, each with something to tell us about ourselves.
Advice on Sibling and Family Dynamics
Organizations and websites where a family caregiver or siblings can get help.
Amazon | Borders | Barnes & Noble
Random House | Indie Bound
Pauline Boss, Author, Ambiguous Loss (Harvard University Press)
Francine answers questions about her new book.
In the tradition of Francine's Time magazine column "Ask Francine," this blog will have frequent responses from reader submitted questions (see bottom of page, or, click here to submit your own question or sibling story), tips on how to maintain healthy sibling relations, and anything else that's on Francine's mind at the moment. Your comments are encouraged, and welcome to the blog!
Monday, March 1, 2010 at 04:07PM My senior executive friend Cathy is a most rational and reasonable person. So when she called ranting about the crimes of her sister Lynette, I was taken aback. Their mother's beloved cat Rufus had been put to sleep while under Lynette's care, and Cathy was seething with grief and rage. You'd think her sister had murdered that sad, ancient tabby. Click here to read more
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 03:32PM Friday, February 12, 2010 at 09:10AM New York Times - In her February 11 entry of her Blog "The New Old Age" Paula Span talks about the problems siblings have with one another when dealing with aging parents, using "They're Your Parents, Too!" as a reference and quoting me directly.
"High on the list of stuff that drives caregivers berserk, along with Medicare regulations and nursing home staff shortages, is the behavior of brothers and sisters. <more>
Friday, February 5, 2010 at 02:11PM Winner: Donna Bogash, Maryland
'Hi Francine, I just wanted to let you know that I received and started your book last night. I could not put it down. My husband had to peel it out of my hands around midnight (I'm usually asleep by 10:00.) I did order a copy for my sister through http://www.facebook.com/l/3659d;Amazon.com. She should have it this week. If I could only get my two brothers to read it too." Donna
Winner: Anita (name withheld), Illinois
"Francine, I've never before sought out a "how-to" guide. But no matter how well prepared one thinks they are - and how strong are their sibling ties - anticipated and unanticipated struggles in caring for aging parents do seem to take a toll on relationships - whether its because one sibling feels they're assuming all the responsibility, or another sibling is struggling with feeling guilt that they can't share equal responsibility because they're out of town. How do we make it work - for our parent, our relationship, and ourselves?" Anita
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 07:43PM I just started a new blog for Psychology Today. The blog is named Aging Parents and the Sibling Rumble and the first blog entry is:
A New Psychological Crisis: The Last Transition of our First Family
If you're a baby boomer dealing with elderly parents and someone asks you about your siblings, you're likely to roll your eyes, laugh bleakly or swear. Or maybe you'll just say: "Boy, do I have a story for you!" (Or if you're a lot younger, you may have a story about your mom and her siblings!) Read More