Birth Order - A little fun fact of Psychology

What is the your position in the house? First-born, middle-born or last born? Or maybe the only child in the house? Do you know that the birth order in the house influence your personality? One's birth order in the house can be determined by looking at his/her personality.

Birth order influences the shaping of personality.

According to Alfred Adler, birth order is a major influence to us in childhood. Although we have the same parents and live in the same house, we do not share the same social environments. This is because the birth order of us exposed us to different parenting attitudes. In his research, he wrote four situations: the first-born, the second-born, the last born and the only child.

Children's personality differs as exposed to different parenting attitude.

The first-borns are normally often spoiled or pampered. Why? This is because they are the first child of their parents, hence full attention of parents will be given. However, when the younger siblings arrived, they have to share the attention of their parents and often they will feel "dethroned". This is because parents will only come to them after fulfilling the needs of the younger child. As they feel dethroned, they will try to capture back the attention of their parents. For example, they will become stubborn, throwing tantrums and ill behaved, although nothing will change in the end. According to Adler, the older the first-born is when the second child arrives, the less dethronement he will feel. Some of the characteristics of the first-born are often oriented toward the past, locked in nostalgia and pessimistic about the future. Adler also believe that first-born has a good leadership skill as they have to lead their younger siblings. They become good organizers, conscientious and first-born are often intelligent. Adler also believed that neurotics, perverts and criminals are first-born.

First-borns are often intelligent as they play the role of teacher or tutor to help care the younger siblings.

The second-child has the most favorable position. They are not spoiled but a little of being neglected. They have never feel the powerful position of the first-child in the family, therefore when the younger child came, the sense of dethronement is least felt by them. Parents are normally relax and less anxious towards the second-born. The second-born often looks upon the older's child behaviour as a model, a threat or a source of competition. The competition may serve to motivate the second-born to strive and catch up with the first born. They are normally optimistic, competitive and ambitious.

Second-borns always look upon the first-borns as their model.

The last-borns are always the spoiled child in the family. They never feel the dethronement of the first-child and they are often dependent. Driven by the need to surpass the older siblings, last-born often develop at a remarkably fast rate. They are usually high achievers. However, the opposite can happen if the last-born are too overly pampered. They will feel that they don't have to learn to do anything and as a result, they may retain the helplessness and dependency of childhood.

Last-borns are likely to be dependent.

Lastly, the only borns, who never have to compete as parents give full attention to the only child in the family.  They will actually face difficulties when they are at outside of the house such as school, because they are not the center of attention. When last borns are not recognized or acknowledged, they will feel disappointed.

They get upset if they don't get attention.

Is it true according to your birth order? Well, this is just a little fun fact about your birth order. After reading this, you might have an idea of how to shape your children's attitude when they are in their childhood. Parenting behaviour is important as they are the most influential people to their child.

BY: YEONG YEE SIONG