I believe that birth order indicates the kind of person you will be. I find this interesting because I have witnessed people the same age act differently, and I believe it’s because they are in different birth categories. I know that there are stereotypes about certain birth placements. Oldest tend to be more conservative, especially once their parents have another child. The youngest’s are more ambitious, and the middle kids are characterized by emotional stability. The oldest tends to get more responsibility because of their maturity levels, while the youngest gets treated like a baby because of how fragile and innocent they are. Birth order affects the relationship within siblings. The oldest develops a sense of protectiveness, responsibilities, and tends to develop leadership skills faster than their siblings. My experience growing up in a big family has taught me to be observant, especially when it comes to parents. My parents love each of us equally ( or so they say) however they treat us all slightly differently. I understand the reasoning for my parents parenting, due to the fact that each of us have different needs. My younger brother has medical complications and my parents are more cautious with him then they are with me. I always wondered why my parents treated me different. I had two older brothers, and two younger brothers. I was the only girl and middle child. I always thought that I wouldn’t have to be the first to experience things or be the leader. However when both of my brothers left for college, I was now the leader. My parents began to trust me more, and hand over more responsibility to me. I felt unprepared because I was not the oldest, didn’t posses leadership skills, or was trained for this kind of responsibility. My ability to quickly adapt allowed me to transition into being the oldest in the family. I was responsible for the protection of my siblings. I cared for them, and provided them advice when my parents couldn’t. I believe sibling order is important because it gives a sense of order, and a rite of passage in a family. I believe these types of conditions factor into the personality traits of each sibling. We concluded the fact that some studies have confirmed the idea that sibling position can shape personality.( Hartmann, 2019)
