Born This Way
If you’ve ever wondered how birth order affects your attitude, choices, and worldview, then this is the list for you. It may surprise you to learn just how impactful older and younger sibling dynamics can be.
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1. Oldest: High Achiever
As the very first kid, the oldest are often burdened with all the hopes, dreams, and expectations of their parents. With all that pressure on them, they always have to strive to excel and meet expectations.
2. Middle: Independent
While the oldest is burdened with responsibility, the middle child may feel more autonomous. They’re already overshadowed by the attention given to the oldest or youngest, so they end up doing their own thing.
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3. Youngest: Fun-Loving
The youngest is often the “baby” of the family, and is appropriately cherished. They get to enjoy the playful and carefree side of their parents, who have already experienced the major milestones and don’t feel as pressured to make everything perfect.
4. Oldest: Mature
Meanwhile, the oldest becomes more serious and is quick to mature. This could be because the oldest has to help care for younger siblings or has to help around the house early on.
5. Middle: Outgoing
Left to their own devices, the middle child tends to look for connections outside of their family. This pushes them to make friendships and find social groups to hang out with.
6. Youngest: Dependent
While the middle and oldest child are making their own way, the youngest often become dependent on the people around them. They may feel reliant on their parents or siblings, and this is further emphasized by all the attention they receive.
7. Oldest: Structured
The oldest sibling is almost like a third parent, and is more likely to follow rules and organize their lives with strict structure.
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8. Middle: Jealous
Although the middle child may struggle to admit it, they can easily become jealous of the attention the older or younger siblings are receiving. It’s all too easy to be overlooked as a middle child.
9. Youngest: Risk-Taking
With the least amount of responsibilities and the most amount of grace, the youngest child is the one likely to get in trouble. They’re not afraid of risks and can even push boundaries in an attempt to garner attention or approval.
10. Oldest: Responsible
The oldest child can easily become a natural caretaker, and tends to adopt supportive and nurturing personalities. This makes them great partners, as they’ll always prioritize their responsibilities.
11. Middle: People Pleasers
Returning to the middle child, they may feel pressured to gain attention and approval from other people, and will adopt people-pleasing behaviors. If they’re not given enough attention from their parents, this can lead to toxic relationships in the future.
12. Youngest: Self-Centered
The youngest, for lack of a better word, is predisposed to become selfish. Since their parents expect little and mostly focus on their desires, the youngest mimics this behavior and becomes used to getting their way.
13. Oldest: Natural Leaders
Whether you’re out camping, need a project manager, or undergoing a mini-crisis, an oldest child is a reliable natural leader. They have honed their leadership qualities by managing their siblings and household over the years.
14. Middle: Competitive
The middle child is always eager for opportunities to prove themselves. Struggling with their place between the oldest and youngest, they’ll always be looking to one-up their siblings, and whoever else they can.
15. Youngest: Manipulative
Many youngest children lean in hard to the attention they get, and can easily develop manipulative behaviors. They’ll try to gain favor and will use their charms to their advantage.
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16. Oldest: Cautious
With all the hopes and expectations of their parents on their shoulder, the oldest sibling tends to be cautious. They will avoid unnecessary risk and take decision-making very seriously.
17. Middle: Insecure
Considering all the behaviors the middle child is subjected to, it’s no surprise that they can leave their families feeling insecure. There will always be a part of them seeking validation.
18. Youngest: Attention-Seeking
Meanwhile, the youngest siblings tend to leave their family with an expectation for attention. If they don’t get this attention, they’ll seek it out from others.
19. Oldest: Controlling
The oldest can leave their families with control issues, and may end up being directors in their next household. It adds up since they're always expected to keep it together.
20. Middle: Adaptable
Finally, the middle child can also be very adaptable due to the versatility of growing up with different siblings. This flexibility makes them good at adjusting to different situations no matter the context.
