Birth order and personality

Research has shown that the order into which a child is born into a family, has a definite impact on his/her personality.  Parents also tend to approach e.g. their first born differently than e.g. their second born.  Thus: birth order + parenting = behavior.  

This might help you understand your child/children a little better:

The firstborn:

As the leader of the pack, firstborns often tend to be:

*  reliable
*  conscientious
*  structured
*  cautious
*  controlling
*  achievers

Middle child:

In general, middle children tend to possess the following characteristics:

*  people-pleasers
*  somewhat rebellious
*  thrives on friendships
*  has a large social circle
*  peacemaker

Last born:

The baby of the family tends to be:

*  fun-loving
*  uncomplicated
*  manipulative
*  outgoing
*  attention-seeker
*  self-centered

Only children:

Being the only child is a unique position in a family.  The only child tends to be something like a "super-firstborn".  Only children tend to be:

*  mature for their age
*  perfectionists
*  conscientious
*  diligent
*  leaders

Exceptions to traditional birth order structure:

Blended families:  As a result of divorce, remarriage, and the melding of stepchildren, a child's birth order may "change".  E.g. a firstborn may now find himself to be the second born due to an older stepbrother or stepsister.  Despite the new position in a blended family hierarchy, the child will not tailor his existing personality to his new position unless he is still in infancy.

Twins:  Twins is a unit that operates independently of birth order.  Most likely a twin will act like a firstborn or a baby, regardless of the twin's birth order in the family.

Gap children:  If you have a gap of at least five years in between births, another family begins in the birth order structure.  This gap child will adopt the traits of a firstborn.

Adoption:  The age at which the child is adopted is a key factor in which traits the child is most likely to exhibit.  The younger the child is at adoption, the more time he will spend under the adoptive parent's care and adopt his position in the existing family tree.  For example, if a firstborn 1-year old child is adopted into a family with a 4-year old child, the adopted child will likely fall into the role of the baby, despite the fat that he is biologically a firstborn child.