In the 1920s Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler first looked at the significance of each child?s place in the family, and many experts still consider birth order a factor in shaping a child?s personality.

A child's birth order:

Someone's birth order is the position occupied by that person during childhood in relation to his or her siblings.

This could be one of several positions:

An 'only' child:
has no competition from siblings for its parents' love. Such a child becomes somewhat egotistical, and can be demanding in later life. Onlies are like little adults from early in life, and are very comfortable with adults. They tend to have high expectations of themselves and others. Rather than falling into big groups, only children prefer a few loyal relationships.


A firstborn or eldest child:
assumes responsibility for younger siblings. That sense of responsibility often leads the child to occupy a position of authority in later life. Since they come first, eldests often have a need to stay first. They are ambitious, highly directed and responsible. Often leaders, oldest children tend to carry their parents? values.


A 'middle' child
learns to compete with older and younger siblings for its parents' love by playing one sibling off against the other. Such children may become indecisive. Middle children love to have people around them and are usually concerned with friends, groups and their social life. Fairness is important to them, and they are often the family mediators and negotiators.

A youngest child
becomes accustomed to being last in the pecking order, and will consequently want to accept instructions and guidance in later life. They tend to be kept 'young' longer and are considered less competent than their siblings. They?re fun and mischievous. Alternatively, the youngest can seek to surpass the achievements of her older siblings.


Do you live up to your 'birth order' traits ?