Has Your Birth Order Shaped Who You Are?

Has Your Birth Order Shaped Who You Are?

I chose this article because I always felt that being the youngest in my family is such a significant aspect of my life. The questions below perfectly capture that and the reasons why I am the person I am.

How has birth order shaped who you are? What do you see as the burdens and benefits of being a child in your birth position? 

I think that being the youngest child in my family has shaped me as a person completely. The closest sibling in age is 6 years apart from me, and that sibling is only 2 years apart from the next who is only 18 months apart from the next. This means that I have a huge gap in my family often making it difficult as a young child. I do see benefits to be the youngest like being the spoiled child 🙂 and I think that I am a smarter person because I was able to see my siblings mistakes in highschool and learn from them. 

What in the article resonates most with your own experiences? Have you ever noticed patterns of behavior based on birth order in your own family? Ms. Pearson writes, “The stereotypes are familiar to many of us: Firstborn children are reliable and high-achieving; middle children are sociable and rebellious (and overlooked); and youngest children are charming and manipulative.” Do you think there is any truth to these stereotypes? Or are they meaningless generalizations — or even harmful? 

I would say that I am definitely charming, but not manipulative as the youngest child. However I do agree that the first-born children are reliable and high-achieving. My parents always took my oldest sister very seriously and love to talk about her accomplishments! My middle siblings are are definitely the rebellious ones, although my parents would never admit it. There are definitely some truths to these stereotypes, but I don’t think that is nessecarily a bad thing. It just means that the way you grow up and the people around you shale you as a person

The article describes the pitfalls of “eldest daughter syndrome.” Have you ever felt hemmed in or saddled by certain expectations because of your birth order? What would you like your siblings — and your parents — to know about what your particular position in the family is like?

I have felt saddled by certain expectations by by being the youngest. All of my three older siblings are very accomplished college graduates, and I know that I have to finish it off strong. I think its an interesting layout in my family because both my mother and my father are the youngest in their family, so they understand my worries as they were once in my shoes

How much stock should we put into the psychology of birth order? Is it an illuminating way to understand our families and ourselves? Or too broad to describe or predict an individual’s personality?

I would be a totally different human being if I wasn’t the youngest. I think the reason I am so knowledgeable about politics, foreign affairs, finance, and much more is due to the fact that that I grew up with these conversations at the dinner table, and that is why I am who I am