Birth Order

A Theory proposed by

Psychologist Alfred Adler

How much of your personality is determined by when you were born into your family?

Birth Order

The majority of your personality is shaped by the time you turn five years old. How you interact with others How you see yourself

First Born (general traits)

Reliable Mature – adult like (too soon) Scholarly – does well in school Leader - serious Perfectionist – critical of self,

activities and others Organized –list maker

First born babies have drive

Second Born (general traits)

Dethrones the first born Needs to figure out how to get attention Finds place in family usually doing the

opposite of the first born Negotiator, diplomatic and friendly Competes and fights with the first born Receives all of the first born’s hand-offs

Middle Child (general traits)

Noted for its Contradictions Feels upstaged by both older and younger siblings

and generally feels left out. Most diverse and hardest child to predict Tends to be independent. Generally thought to

be a “Maverick” Compromiser and mediator ability to make peace

with others Quieter, shy and avoids conflict Great sense of justice Friends and peers are extremely important Very loyal

Middle Child Cont.

Fewest things Fewest pictures taken Not daunted by challenges, must

elbow its way through in family situations

Invisible

Last Born (general traits)

Precocious Engaging and charming Inconsistently treated spoiled and

neglected Protected by older siblings Tends to blame others Walks faster, talks sooner, shows off more Not as self-reliant Gets others to do things for them

Only Child(or child born after a 5 year interval)

Tends to be a blend of the first born and last born

Treated as special Self-reliant and adult like No competition Perfectionist

Special Only

Special because of their gender Receives all gender related perks

Special because of how they were born

Blended Family

Birth order remains consistent Pairing up with sibling of same

position for a natural competition Younger position tend to be more

loving and accepting Older take longer to jockey for

position and adjust

Parenting

Birth Order and Parents

Their place in the family influences how they parent

What type of mate they are

Resources & Contributors

Carol Smith Theorist psychologist Alfred Adler

and Rudolph Dreikurs Kevin Leman author of Birth Order