Birth Order Effects

What is birth order?? Alfred Adler was one of the first 1 st theorist to suggest that birth order influences personality It is the chronological order of the sibling births in a family.

First Born Children (Presidents) These children are the one with the most attention directed at him/her. 2 types of typical first born children; compliant and aggressive.

Strengths of 1 st born Greater level of confidence Helpful More adult oriented Excel in academics Taken seriously Patient Organized Strong powers of concentration Confident to dream and plan Feel supported Choose careers that require a high degree of precision; law, medicine, computer programming, or architecture

Weaknesses of 1 st born Have an innate fear of being de-throned Perfectionists Overachievers More guilt and anxiety Difficulty coping with stressful situations Feel as though they are never good enough Tend to be selfish with possessions and attention Do not like to be told what to do Have a hard time with creative projects Do not work well with little direction

Fun Facts about 1 st born More than ½ of the US Presidents were first born children 21 of the 23 first astronauts were first born children Famous 1 st born children; Walter Conkrite, Dan Rather, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh, and Arsenio Hall. 2/3 of entrepreneurs are first born

Middle Children (Black Sheep) Most difficult to both read and raise “Mysterious Middle Child” Two main types of middle children Not clearly defined as the two types of first born Tend to be opposite of their older sibling Children with the most friends Gets along best with others

Strengths of Middle born Peacemakers Mediators Able to keep secrets No spoiled Take risks Realistic Get along well with others Read people well Independent Loyal to supporters Imaginative Choose careers that allow them to be creative; arts, sales, advertising, or a career that requires negotiating Well suited for management Levelheaded Able to be unbiased competitive

Weaknesses of Middle born Does not do well with hierarchy system Doesn’t like strict rules Prefer to work at their own pace Therefore may not complete tasks on time Does not work well with detail Does not work well with cut and dry material Prefers to make things more creative than needed Hates confrontation Stubborn Cynical Suspicious Rebellious

Fun Facts of Middle born Famous middle born children; Donald Trump, Ted Kennedy, Tim Allen, Julia Roberts, and Rosie O’Donnell Love to stand out Want to “do their own thing”

Last Born children (clowns) Quite often the life of the party Easiest to define when it comes to the correlation between birth order and personality Only one main type of last born

Strengths of last born Outgoing Sociable Affectionate Caring Creative Empathetic Confident Careers in sales Invention corporations Good ability to sell things, including themselves Work well alone Want to be the boss Do their own thing in their own space

Weaknesses of last born Do not like to be tied down to a commitment “cut throat” Try too hard at times Alternative routes in life may make them odd man out Spoiled Manipulative Immature Self-centered

Fun Facts of Last born Famous last born children; Howard Stern, Jay Leno, Ralph Nadar, Bill Gates, and Danny DeVito Tend to go against the norm Make the biggest stirs in life Know no boundaries

Only Children (greater 1 st born) Special type of birth order Capable of being any of the three “main” types of birth order Most of these only children do posses characteristics commonly associated with the aggressive first born Extremist in all aspects of life

Strengths of only children Trust their own opinion Prompt Ambitious Enterprising Energetic Set goals Good problem solvers Careers similar to those of the 1 st born; law, medicine, and architecture Like black and white concepts Often prefer to work alone or be the boss Successful

Weaknesses of Only Children Do not like to be told what to do Often stray from team work situations Take too much responsibility May no respond well to criticisms Self-Centered Fearful of trying new things Criticize themselves and others Worry too much Feel they are always right Inflexible Too busy to see the big picture

Fun Facts of Only Children Famous only children; Nancy Reagan, Chelsea Clinton

Variables Parents; marital status, parenting style, critical eye of parent, parents birth order Separate families; more than a five year gap in age of children, or starting a new family. Adoption or Remarriage Death of parent or sibling