Birth order

[giff57]

Ok, I was at a meeting last week and the topic of birth order and personality came up. Being a Cyburbia geek, I knew it was time for a poll.

[Cardinal]

I am the fourth of five. (Hmmm... Is that like Seven of Nine?) I have a youger brother who is the last, by about five minutes.

[Super Amputee Cat]

First of four

[JNL]

I'm number 3 of 4 - all girls

[SkeLeton]

I'm the last of 2... but actually i'm quite like the middle son, my dog kinda takes the "last child" place

[Wannaplan?]

I'm the youngest of four and I never received any special or extra attention, so I voted for the fifth option.

I really don't believe all that birth order sociology stuff - it's too simplistic. If everyone had the same set of circumstances impacting the family at every moment in the family's history, then yeah, I could believe all that birth order rhetoric. But in my case, at my birth, my family was financially strapped - quite a different life experience when my mom and dad were first married at had their first two kids. My dad lost his business, was diagnosed with depression, put on ineffective and damaging medication, and my mom had to pick up a lot of the financial slack while he recovered. Luckily, my two oldest siblings were teenagers when I was a toddler and they helped out with the child rearing while my mom worked. Their care did not translate into any special attention - as teenagers they resented the parental role they were saddled with. They did an adequate job, and I love them dearly for the responsibility the accepted. I distinctly remember my sister taking me to her high school when I was four. Long hippie hair, bell-bottoms, a student smoking section, and overhead projectors are all that I remember from 1976.

[Zoning Goddess]

I started as a middle with all the usual baggage; not the pioneer, not the baby. My older sister died 20 years ago, leaving me the oldest, of sorts. My little brother and I are still having "order" issues. But for the most part, we get along well, and he is super with my son, pays him a lot of extra attention even tho' he has 3 kids of his own (I'm a single mom).

[Runner]

I'm the oldest of three. My sister is a year and a half younger and brother is five and a half years younger. We pretty much fit the birth order mold.

[nerudite]

I'm the oldest of two. And I must recognize, there was quite a disparity in rules and attention. Everything was very strict for me, and a breeze with my younger brother.

[Dan]

I've got two answers.

1) Only child; that's how I was raised by my adoptive parents.

2) First child of four (I'm 37; they're 33, 30 and 22), when my recently discovered natural brothers and sister are considered.

[nerudite]

Originally posted by Dan
I've got two answers.

1) Only child; that's how I was raised by my adoptive parents.

2) First child of four (I'm 37; they're 33, 30 and 22), when my recently discovered natural brothers and sister are considered.

Well, my birth order I was counting was from my adoptive parents.

I'm assuming that I'm the oldest of my natural siblings. I know that there is one sibling out there (a half-brother), and that he is one month younger than me. But that's only because I got some classified information... I have yet ot meet any of my siblings or natural parents.

[donk]

Of my sister and I am am the oldest (14months). As a kid (3-7) I had an older step sister. I also curently have a younger step sister (3 years), that we don't talk about.

[Tranplanner]

I'm the second of two. My brother is eight years older than me, so I don't think the stereotypical birth order profile really fits me.

[Downtown]

I'm the oldest of three, and all of us fit pretty well into the stereotypes. There are 2 1/2 years between each of us, and my sister, who was the youngest, grew up in a very different house than I did.

TP - I've heard that if there is more than 5 years between siblings, you'll tend to be more characteristic of an only child.

[Tranplanner]

Originally posted by KMateja

TP - I've heard that if there is more than 5 years between siblings, you'll tend to be more characteristic of an only child.

I'd say that's true. In some ways it was like I had two dads - the authority figure, and the "fun" dad. My brother used to take me along on his record hunting expeditions, and we'd do all kinds of stuff. Later, when he was in college, I'd make sure the house didn't burn down when he threw parties while my parents were away.

[biscuit]

Originally posted by nerudite
I'm the oldest of two. And I must recognize, there was quite a disparity in rules and attention. Everything was very strict for me, and a breeze with my younger brother.

Same here, except I have a younger sister, by 2 yrs. who managed to avoid a lot of the parental prying that I went through.

[Chet]

Youngest of two and got away with murder becasue of it.

[jmf]

Originally posted by KMateja
TP - I've heard that if there is more than 5 years between siblings, you'll tend to be more characteristic of an only child.

I am 6 1/2 years older than my only sister. I think this is true, in part but also in that amount of time some things change a lot.

For example when I went to university I had the choice between all-girls or co-ed residence, my father indicated that I really didn't have a choice! But years later when my sister went away she didn't have the choice, there were only co-ed residences, but my dad seemed OK with it.

At the same time, I worry/care more about what my parents think, I figure sometimes it just makes life easier while most of the time my sister doesn't think about them at all she just does what she wants.

[Habanero]

Youngest of 2 or 4, depending on when you count from. I only grew up with my sister, as my oldest half-brother was adopted out. I know my brother now, he also grew up with a brother, so it's really like I'm the youngest of 4 now, and treated very much like the youngest sibling. We're only about 13 months apart each, so everyone who doesn't know my life story thinks my Mom was a very busy woman.

[donk]

Texas planer commented

We're only about 13 months apart

In my area, people with birth dates this area called Irish Twins.

[SW MI Planner]

I'm the oldest of two. And I must recognize, there was quite a disparity in rules and attention. Everything was very strict for me, and a breeze with my younger brother.

Ditto....

[Jeff]

I'm the oldest with a brother 4 years younger...

[giff57]

It looks like the out-going first borns are taking the lead, as I suspected.

[Downtown]

Originally posted by giff57
It looks like the out-going first borns are taking the lead, as I suspected.

My husband, Rob, another Planner is also a first born, with a sister 2 years younger, and they are definitely classic birth order personalities.

If you buy into it, the first born as planners type personalities makes sense - the organizational skills, the mediator skills, etc.

[NHPlanner]

First born of 4...