But what if you were the oldest instead of the youngest child? Or in the middle instead of the oldest? Or what if you had a sibling instead of being an only child?
Life in your family would be way different, sure. But would you be any different?
The answer is: probably! One of the many things that affects who we are, and how we relate to the people in our family, is "birth order." This means whether our parents had us first, second, last, etc...or as an only child. Learning about birth order is a fun way to look at yourself and how you get along at home, in school, and with friends.
What we know about birth order comes from experts who studied many different people, but of course, you're a unique individual. As you read these descriptions, you might think, "That's NOT me!" When looking at the common personality traits for your birth order, ask yourself why certain ones fit you and others don't.
Also, remember that every family is different. Birth order gets a lot more complicated in situations where there are adopted children, step-children, half-brothers or half-sisters, or where one of the children is physically, mentally, or emotionally disabled. If this is the case, think about how birth order and your family's situation may have combined to influence your personality traits.
Have you ever looked at one of your siblings and thought, "How can we be so different?" Maybe your older sister acts like the boss of the world, or your little brother is always showing off.
What is "Birth Order"?
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