Birth Order ,Personality Traits and Parenting Style

The 1st Born Child The 1st born child tends to have special status, just because he came first ,and if he is put on a pedestal may think himself a king. It can come as a rude awakening when a sibling is born and he gets knocked off his throne. This can make him a little insecure and determined to win back 1st place in his parents affections. As a rule 1st born children try to please their parents. He usually does well at school and is responsible and caring. He can be a leader .He tends to be conventional and follow societies norms and rules. He can become a very successful and respected citizen. But it all can be different if a younger brother overtakes his place in his own or his parents eyes. Then he may rebel. His schoolwork may suffer. and if he becomes very discouraged he may become depressed and stop trying. Or conversely, he may try even harder becoming a perfectionist with all the pressure that entails. The 2nd born child The 2nd born child has the challenge of finding his unique place in the family. He will usually choose personality traits different or even opposite of his brother. For example, if the older brother is athletic, he will choose music as an interest. But if he tries to compete in the same arena and wins in his parents and older siblings eyes; he may change places with the first born. However, if he challenges his older brother and loses and fails to develope unique interests of his own he may become angry and a rebel. This child being the middle child tends to get overlooked;consequently he may adopt other families and become the child that is always out at a friends house. He may have a tendancy to view life as unfair. But he also could become develop social skills and become mediator with his siblings and friends. The 3rd Child The third child has the advantage of learning from older siblings. He may be socially more adept and develop language early. He too will have to find his unique place in the family. He may choose to develop different skills than his brothers, or he may choose to compete. Competing is the more difficult road, being the youngest, but there are those who overtake all of their siblings having gained the benefit of watching and learning from them. Conversely,if the youngest child is overprotected by the parents as the baby of the family, he may become overdependent and lacking in confidence as well as resented by his older siblings. Or they may baby him too, making him even more dependent. But there are many youngest children who evade these traps and ,eventually out shine their older siblings. Youngest children are usually fun loving and social. The Only Child The only child has the characteristics of the oldest and youngest. He is usually responsible and good at school and he can be a leader like a first born, but he can also have the insecurities and dependence of the youngest. He may be hesitant to encounter new situations and need support to develop social skills with his peers. Overview In General the larger the family the less competative the siblings. They depend more on one another and are less focused on the parents. Also large families can split into two families if the gap between children is 4 years or more. Then it is possilble to have two of everything. Also if their is a 4 year gape or more between 2 children you could have 2 only children. And if a parent is childlike and dependent the oldest can usurp the parental role. As you see their are many permutations and combinations. This is a general guide, but if you have any questions leave them in the comments box and I will get back to you.