Firstborn children are thrust into a leadership role from the time they gain a younger sibling. That spells decades of at-home leadership experience, which, at times, could be plain bossiness. They like to be in charge. A few firstborns will have trouble delegating; they will not trust others to do the job well enough.
Since firstborns follow their parents' lead, they like taking charge and have oodles of confidence, says Kevin Leman, Ph. D., author of The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are. That's because they don't have older siblings to tease them when they learn to tie their shoes or ride a bike.
The firstborn effect
Firstborns tend to possess psychological characteristics related to leadership, including responsibility, creativity, obedience and dominance. They are also more likely to have higher academic abilities and levels of intelligence than their younger siblings.
For example, he quotes a study that found firstborns to be “more likely to be serious, sensitive,” “conscientious,” and “good” and—this is my favorite—“fond of books.” Later on, these firstborns can become “shy, even fearful,” or they become “self-reliant, independent.” A second child, by contrast, is “placid, easy- ...
Firstborns tend to be reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling and achievers. Firstborns are diligent and want to be the best at everything they do.
Firstborn children are thrust into a leadership role from the time they gain a younger sibling. That spells decades of at-home leadership experience, which, at times, could be plain bossiness. They like to be in charge. A few firstborns will have trouble delegating; they will not trust others to do the job well enough.
Based on psychodynamic theory, it was hypothesized that firstborn children were expected to score highest, but statistical significance was not found for an association between narcissism and birth order. Further research is urged to investigate personality theory as it relates to parenting style and birth order.
Firstborn Child Personality Traits
Firstborn children tend to be natural leaders since they are the leaders of their sibling groups. They are often diligent, reliable, structured, goal-oriented, conscientious, and independent.
The team found that birth order did not alter any of five broad personality traits. Those traits, what psychologists call the “Big Five,” were openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
Eldest daughter syndrome is the burden felt by oldest daughters because of their unique childhood experience. Extra duties are often given to the oldest girl in a family, leading to a shared 'syndrome' of being responsible but overburdened.
Your success in life may be influenced by your birth order, according to the economist Sandra E. Black. Black points to research she and her colleagues have conducted that found that firstborns tend to be smarter, richer, and all-around more successful than their younger siblings.
Domineering: As a way to establish dominance over their younger sibling(s), an oldest child may be more authoritarian as their siblings grow. Protective: Oldest children are often given the role of caregiver for their younger siblings, which reinforces protective behaviors.
Because firstborns are physically bigger than their younger siblings, they are more likely to employ physical aggression and intimidation in dealing with rivals. Firstborns are the 'alpha males' of their sibling group, and they generally boss and dominate their younger brothers and sisters.
It's hard to be the big sib. No matter how old you are, you're expected to take more responsibility, even when you're a very young person yourself. That's one reason that oldest children are often described as responsible, sensitive, perfectionistic, and a bit more anxious than their siblings.
The first born may experience certain emotions differently than the middle and youngest child or visa versa. According to Adler, the first born is more susceptible to depression because of high expectations of parents and suddenly losing the attention due to another sibling being born.
While the youngest sibling is usually the funniest kid, mom and dad favor the youngest for a reason that might surprise you. According to a new study conducted by Brigham Young University's School of Family Life, the youngest sibling of the family tends to be mom and dad's favorite child because of perception.
The least common birthdays in the U.S. interestingly all hover around major holidays. December 25 (Christmas Day) is the least common birthday, while January 1 (New Year's Day) is the second least common.
The data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Social Security Administration. The rarest month to be born in is February, making Aquarius the rarest zodiac sign. February is the shortest month of the year, even with a leap year.
They are also more likely to have higher academic abilities and levels of intelligence than their younger siblings. These qualities are believed to make firstborns more successful.
Putting too much pressure on the oldest child to be a role model for others can make them act out or develop negative tendencies as they grow up such as becoming bossy, always wanting to have control over a situation, and being unable to delegate. This can also lead to the inability to admit mistakes.
According to an old notion, first-born children are genetically predisposed to appear more like their father. It was thought that this was done so that the father would accept the child as his and provide for and care for them. Another argument is that this would prevent him from eating the baby.
If you're an only child, your best romantic match is an older brother of sisters, according to this website.
In the dysfunctional narcissistic family system, the golden child is the most likely to develop a narcissistic personality.
Narcissistic personality disorder affects more males than females, and it often begins in the teens or early adulthood. Some children may show traits of narcissism, but this is often typical for their age and doesn't mean they'll go on to develop narcissistic personality disorder.
But children who were extremely melodramatic, and who also had parents that ignored or neglected them, spoiled them constantly, or insisted on perfection, were more likely to become narcissists in adulthood.