As promised, here are a few random notes from my files on birth order.
Alfred Adler set the tone in the late 1960s and The New Birth Order by Kevin Lehman was also a useful source.
91% of US astronauts, 80% of students at Harvard, and 53% of US presidents were first-borns. Are you highly structured? Probably a first-born.
Do you rarely make commitments and are a little bit loosey-goosey, especially about being on time? Probably a middle child.
Do you love to be the centre of attention and have a roller-coaster energy level? Probably last born.
First borns come in two different types – the compliant first born and the more often found strong-willed first born.
- Compliants are model children growing up, with a high need for approval, a willingness to please and a desire to be mother‘s little helper.
- Strong willed first-borns are high achievers, perfectionists, and very detail oriented. They tend to be on time and believe that early is even better. They strive to be perfect because they weren’t raised for their first five years to just grow up. They were raised to be a model child and to be President of the United States!!! First borns take not being perfect personally. They expect others to deliver on what they promise and to follow the first born’s lead.
Middle children were born just too late to enjoy all the special considerations first borns receive. Unfortunately, they were also born too soon to capitalise on the advantages that last borns had. Middle children have more friends than their siblings because they look outside the family for a sense of belonging, since being in the middle didn’t provide one. They are independent people who don’t like to make commitments and hate being tied down. Middle children are friendly, sociable, and outgoing because they have to seek out a sense of belonging from outside the family. They’re also great diplomats who are able to manipulate up and down the sibling chain. They get along easily with others, both older and younger.
Last borns are the attention-seekers. They love the limelight. They have messy rooms. They are fun-loving and have very high self-esteem. Why? They were always in a state of self-protection throughout their childhood as they were the last guy in line and they needed to preserve their sense of self as a means of survival.
Last borns have a roller-coaster energy level – when they’re up, they’re really up. But when they’re down, they can be way down.
Last borns deal well with people older than they are.
They are very charming with a good sense of humour.
I’m a First Born. You?
(Those not busy being born are busy dying.)
