Are you the firstborn, a middle child or youngest in your family? Your position in the family can affect your personality, behaviour and world view.

You didn't realize that, right?

According to some experts in psychology, birth order is considered to be one of the most powerful influences on personality, along with genetics, gender, temperament, and parenting styles.

Your position in the family, also known as Ordinal Position, has a huge influence over your total personality at adulthood.

Ordinal positions refer to the 5 basic positions of siblings in the family, which are the firstborn, second child, middle child, youngest child and only child.

And, just in case you don't know, none of these positions is better than the other. Each has its own good and bad points.

I assure you, this article will help you know why you act the way you do. It'll also help parents understand children and their misbehavior, so as to know how best to do the hard work of parenting.

Now, let's explore the characteristic experience of each ordinal position in a normal family structure.

1. Firstborn:
Because he once had it all to himself and would still prefer to be the first and foremost, he tends to feel entitled to rank. The firstborn are usually conservative in attitude. They often stay near adults and authority figures.

They're well organized and take responsibility over their younger ones. However, they can become suspicious and hostile to others if their social interest is threatened. The first child is somewhat elitist in his views.

2. Second Child:
The second child is behind and has to catch-up. Someone seem to be ahead of him, a standard bearer against who he measures himself. So, he learns to compete. The second child is more revolutionary and competitive in outlook, although, he's more willing to follow another's lead.

At times the second child tries to out do any standard set by the elder child. This kind of attitude might lead the second child to set unachievable goals for himself which might lead to failure.

3. Middle Child:
There's already a standard bearer in front and a pursuer in the rear. He's surrounded by competitors. He may feel squeezed into a small area in the family - not enjoying any of the advantages of the elder nor the younger one.

The middle child tends to be sensitive to mistreatment and unfairness. He sees the position as the most burdensome and constantly seeks open assurance of his place in the family from his parents.

4. Youngest Child:
Usually, the last-born is the pet of the family. He may have the advantage of many role models, but he has a lot of ground to cover in order to catch-up. If he's pampered, he may act helpless and dependent, expecting others to attend to his every need. And therefore, find it difficult to cope with life challenges.

5. The Only Child:
He never had a rival and so tend to be curious rather than competitive. He's usually congenital and charming. His social behaviour is intended to please rather than to outdo.

The only child spend most of his time with adults. For this reason, he matures early, developing a rich imagination and learning to be highly creative.

However, not having experienced competition, nor felt dethroned by another sibling in the family, he might find it difficult to cooperate with his peers, especially when he starts school as he has not learned to compete for attention.

written by Chidi C. Ifeachor

surce: http://www.swavepost.com/2018/04/how-your-birth-position-in-family-can.html

What an enormous fallacy!

So very correct as i read that up in the term paper of a counselling psychology student which is covered under Personality Psychology.

Absolute nansense. Una don start with una rubbish assumptions again abi. The position number where a child fits in, has nothing to do with how they turn out in life and that includes the attitude or attributes they portray.

Guys, the influence of birth position on one's personality is not a mere assumption. You can do some research to find out if the post is "Absolute Nonsense" or not.

sure for middle children

i think it's true for the 'youngest'.

Nowpresence and opposite, thanks joor

wat u wrote about d second child is thrash

Preetiex, it's not trash...