How Does The Birth Order Influence The Personality Of The Siblings?

Imagine for a moment that you are going on a trip with your siblings, who are already adults. With which of the following situations do you most identify ?:

-You have been planning the trip for weeks, with all that it entails: hotel reservation, rental car, restaurants … You took your siblings into account at all times and looked for time and space to disconnect emotionally.

-You have spent all day organizing things in a hasty way, adjusting the last preparations and leaving your home prepared for the days that you are going to find yourself absent.

-It sounds super fun to take the family trip you have planned! You have nothing organized, just enjoy the experience, laugh and have fun with your siblings. You enjoy how your older brother organizes everything and you haven’t had to move a hair.

Is situation number 1 familiar to you? You are probably the oldest of the brothers.

If the second fits with you or you feel identified, you are probably the middle child.

If you keep the last one, you are surely the baby of the family.

Why does birth order matter?

Many researchers claim that the order in which one is born into a family nucleus is as important as gender and genetics. This leads us to ask ourselves the eternal question between “upbringing vs. the nature of people”.

Within the same family there are no two children who have the same parents. Why? Parents are different with each of their children, as they never take on the same role or role. For example, if you are the child who takes care of the rest of your siblings, then your brother will take on another role, perhaps that of the winner.

Three types of personalities among siblings

The oldest child is programmed for excellence and achievement, the middle child is raised to be understanding and conciliatory, and the baby seeks attention. The result generates that the order in which the siblings are born is a powerful variable when it comes to personality development.

The 3 types of personalities are as follows:

– The greatest: the winner. The oldest child tends to have more in common with other older children than with his own brothers and sisters. These are people who, given their condition of first child, have had more control over their parents, enjoying great attention as they are first-timers.

They are usually very responsible people , whom you can trust and they know how to behave. They are careful with themselves and their personal relationships, reflecting a version of their own parents.

If you are the oldest child, you probably like to seek the approval of others and achieve great achievements simply because you are predisposed to it.

They are identified in studies and leadership professions. Being the older brother, you try to dominate your siblings.

Something that characterizes this position within a family very much is that when baby number two arrives, the older sibling will feel and experience a sense of loss. Losing the position of feeling unique and the attention that was previously only for us can hurt. But everything learned above will allow you to change quickly and with force.

– The medium: the pacifist. Middle siblings are generally supportive , cooperative, and adaptive in nature, although they may occasionally reflect competitive characteristics.

They care a lot about equality and will work within the family for fair and equal for each member. They tend to enjoy a close circle of friends who represent an additional part of their family.

As the middle child, they receive the least amount of attention from their family, and as a result, these companions of laughter and experiences they have chosen constitute their compensation.

They tend to take a while to mature but end up successfully leading powerful careers that allow them to use their negotiation skills, getting all the attention they need.

The older brother and the middle brother will never be good at the same thing. The personality trait that defines the middle child is usually the opposite of that of the older or younger sibling . The good news is that those incredible social skills that they have learned thanks to being the one in the middle, negotiating in the family structure, can prepare them to be great successful entrepreneurs.

– The little one: life of the party. If you are the youngest of the family, your parents have already gained sufficient confidence within their roles as parents and caregivers, which makes them be more forgiving and not pay as much attention to your every move as they once did with your older siblings .

This situation leads them to learn to receive the attention of their surroundings through their sympathy and charm.

They have more freedom than their brothers, being more independent. They present great similarity with their older brother, since both in the extremes are special. They find their position quickly and feel identified with their own place that makes them feel safe.

They tend to choose careers as actors, comedians, directors, writers, and similar careers. They can also be good doctors and teachers. Their parents’ flexibility gives them exquisite freedom to foster their personal creativity.

They have fewer responsibilities and, because of this, they seek experiences with a lot of responsibility. I have been able to personally verify this characteristic with my little brother, looking like the baby of the family.

What if you don’t have siblings?

– The only son. Only children grow up surrounded by adults, being more verbal and mature. This condition allows them to gain intelligence and easily overcome any other difference in the order of birth.

Spending so much time alone leads them to be more resourceful, creative and believe in their independence. They also tend to have a lot in common with their parents, surely following them in their respective professional careers.

I invite you to observe your siblings in a little detail at the next family reunion and see whether or not you perceive the characteristics of each position within the order of birth. It will surely make you smile. And you, are you the oldest, the medium or the little one?