Birth Order

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Birth Order

Introduction

When you think of birth order it is pretty obvious what it is. Most people would

automatically say that it s the order in which you and your siblings were born . That is

true but it is much more complex than that . The place in the birth order will effect how a

child grows up and will ultimately have an effect on the child’s whole life. The subject of

birth order is often overlooked and neglected . This is a very important topic because the

place in a birth order that a child grows up in influences everything around him. A child

might have a different attitude towards life if he is born last with older siblings. Birth

Order also effects what type of job a person is most likely to have. No matter who you are

you have a birth order. No matter if you are the worlds most famous person or just a bum

begging for change outside of Yankee Stadium. Without a doubt, you can compare

yourself to a famous celebrity who has the same birth order as you and find many

similarities in your life’s.

My Birth Order

In 1985 my parents decided it was time to have there first child. In March of that year my

older brother was born. Three years later in May of 1988 I was born. From the time I was

born until the age of three it was just me and my older brother. So everything that I was

learning came either from my big brother or my parents. At this time I was always

looking up to my parents and my brother because I was the youngest in the family.

Another three years went by and my parents had another child in April of 1991. Now not

only did I have a big brother but I also had a younger brother. I was not the youngest

child now I was directly in the middle. Actually it could not have been anymore direct

that it was. My older brother was three years older than me and my little brother was three

years younger than me. So now my birth order was changing. Many people would say

that I was so called “squeezed” in the middle but it did not have a negative effect on my

life. It actually had a positive effect. Being in the middle was a very good thing for me.

Not only was I learning from my older brother I also felt like I was growing up and

becoming a very responsible person because I was teaching my younger brother the ways

of life. In Walter Tomans book it says, “The older brother has learned to lead and assume

responsibility for peers of the same sex; the younger one has learned to imitate, to follow

his brother and boys in general, and to compete with and oppose them as well.” 1

Another three years passed by and surprisingly my parents didn’t have another

child. I thought this would be the end of the line and for the rest of my life I would be

directly in the middle of my brothers. Another three years passed by and my parents

decided to sit me down and tell me and my brothers that they were having another child.

___________________________

1. I have noticed throughout my life that my older brother has tried to teach me

everything. I have imitated what I have seen from him because he was my older sibling

and I believed what he did was right. I also felt that I must do what my older brother did

but do it better. I was competing with him to show my parents that I was the better child. (Toman 1992:11)

The shocking part was that this new addition to the family was going to be a girl. At this

time I was nine years old, my older bother was twelve and my younger brother was six. I

realized that I was now going to have two younger siblings and my younger brother that I

helped raise would join me in the middle. I was a little bit confused because I was never

separated by more than three years and I know a younger sister would definitely have a

big impact on my life and my brothers. So in August of 1997 once again I would be in a

position where I would help to raise my sister just like the way I raised my little brother

and like the way my older brother raised me. Every day I think of how my life would have

been so much different if my siblings were never born. My siblings helped to shape who I

am today in every way possible. They helped to create my personality my attitude and

even the way I communicate.

Typical Characteristics of Birth Order

Only Child

An only child is usually treated