Birth Order

1
Birth Orders Affect on Personality

• Notes for paper that goes with Unit 5 Ch 14
• Taken from The Birth Order Book By Dr. Kevin
  Leman

2
Activity Birth orders influence on personality

• You are going to write a paper on how your birth
  order has shaped your personality AND the
  personality of someone else in your family or a
  close friend who has a different birth order than
  you do. Explain how your birth orders
  characteristics apply to you and him/her and if
  some dont, explain why. Provide examples from
  your lives to elaborate. If you are a 1st born or
  only child, you must write about someone else who
  is a middle child or baby (because 1st borns and
  only children are very similar). You are only
  writing about YOURSELF and 1 OTHER PERSON.
• This paper must be at least 3 pages typed (I
  suggest 1½-2 pages about yourself and 1-1½ pages
  about the other person. Times New Roman size 12
  font.
• Double space.
• Do not alter the margins.
• Worth 100 points!!!

3
1st Borns

• Guinea pigs for parents
• Learn from adults. Due to lots of attention,
  they often develop a lot of confidence.
• 2 types The nurturers/caregivers (eager to
  please and often taken advantage of) and the
  aggressive (assertive and strong-willed)
• Thrive on being in control, on time, and
  organized
• High achievers
• Leaders often serious
• Precise and picky
• Sticklers for rules put pressure on themselves
• Take the brunt of the blame and discipline
• Analytical love to ask questions and strong
  powers of concentration
• Judge themselves by what others think of them
• Critical
• Perfectionists hate mistakes, can lead to
  procrastination due to a fear of failure (may
  become fearful, anxious, depressed, have
  feelings of guilt)
• May mask it w/ a messy desk or something similar,
  but they still usually know where everything is.

4
Only Children

• Super 1st borns make sure to look at 1st born
  notes
• More confident and articulate
• Logical and scholarly
• Self-centered didnt have to share attention or
  toys growing up

5
Middle Children

• Hardest to generalize too many possibilities
• Each child is usually most influenced by the next
  oldest child usually goes off in a different
  direction (especially if they are the same
  gender) UNLESS they feel they can successfully
  compete if they do, role reversal may occur
  where the 2nd born takes on the characteristics
  of the 1st born and vice versa.
• Often feel left out tend to find lots of
  friends
• Most secretive of all birth orders
• Probably embarrass easily
• Likely mentally tough and independent
• Learn to negotiate and compromise
• Paradox may be a quiet loner or friendly and
  outgoing, impatient or laid-back, very
  competitive or not competitive, rebel or
  peacemaker, aggressive or avoids conflict.

6
Babies

• Love attention and making people laugh
• Entertainers
• Outgoing
• Charming
• Sometimes absentminded
• Carefree and vivacious
• Often act before thinking
• Rebellious
• Temperamental
• Spoiled
• Manipulators
• Impatient
• Feel like theyre not taken seriously
• Feel like they live in older siblings shadows
• Have an Ill show them! attitude
• Suckers for praise
• Good salesmen

7
Possible Exceptions

• Role reversal see middle child notes
• Spacing after more than 5 yrs of separation, a
  new birth order is often established
• Genetics
• Sibling death/serious illness if it occurs
  early, the next sibling may be bumped up to the
  next birth order
• Adoptions depends on when it occurs
• Birth order position of the parents first born
  parents tend to run a tighter ship
• Blending of families stepsiblings may influence
  birth order if the families merge when the
  children are still very young
• Gender of the siblings lower birth order
  siblings may have many 1st born characteristics
  if they are the 1st male or female in their
  families
• Multiple births twins/triplets skew any order.
  If twins, the one who is older usually makes
  sure everyone knows it takes on older child
  characteristics the other acts more like a baby.

8
Grading

• 20 points
• Grammar, spelling (minus 1 point for every 3
  minor errors 1 point for every major error I
  notice).
• 20 points
• Organization
• 60 points
• Content accurately described how
  characteristics applied OR explained why they
  didnt.
• Minus 20 if not typed.
• Plus 10 for 1 day early. Minus
  50 for 1 day late. No credit
  after 1 day late!!!