This term may be used throughout the individual's life well into adulthood. It suggests that the youngest child is never fully grown, and may never carry the same level of gravitas in life as their older siblings will. Because of this and other factors, a child may learn to adopt certain adaptive characteristics.
Youngest children tend to be the most free-spirited due to their parents' increasingly laissez-faire attitude toward parenting the second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) time around. As a result, the baby of the family tends to have the following birth order traits: Fun-loving.
Youngest children are also often described as spoiled, willing to take unnecessary risks, and less intelligent than their oldest siblings. Psychologists have theorized that parents coddle youngest children.
Youngest Child Birth Order Traits
“In general, high agreeableness, extraversion (the social dimension) and openness are associated with youngest children,” Dr. Salmon says, “and sometimes low conscientiousness due to lack of responsibilities and parental indulgence over expectations.
The easiest way to define youngest child syndrome is that they will do everything they can to stand out. There may be a few downsides to being the youngest as we may see them to be babied more than the other siblings. They are more likely to be coddled, sometimes seen as spoiled, and willing to take unnecessary risks.
Last borns tend to be more impetuous – they act now and worry about the repercussions later. The positive is that they are more likely to stretch themselves and try new experiences than their siblings. The negative aspect for boys is that their tendency to jump first and think later on can be downright dangerous.
But let me tell you: Being the youngest is the hardest part out of all the children, and not just for the reasons you think, either. Being the youngest means that you become your parent's last hope, their final attempt at perfection.
The Youngest Child - “The Baby”
Just as with the oldest sibling, the youngest child often feels special and has a unique place in the family. They tend to be more rebellious and attention-seeking, creative, social, outgoing, and have a sense of openness.
Forget the terrible twos and prepare for the hateful eights ‒ parents have named age 8 as the most difficult age to parent, according to new research. Eight being the troublesome year likely comes as a surprise to many parents, especially since parents polled found age 6 to be easier than they expected.
Youngest Child Characteristics
As a result, lastborns usually get away with more than their older siblings do, says Dr. Leman. They shoulder less responsibility, so the youngest child tends to be carefree, easygoing, fun-loving, affectionate, and sociable, and they like to make people laugh.
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.
Because youngest children often feel left out and learn to fight for attention, certain characteristics can develop: Youngest kids tend to be socially savvy, manipulative and charming. They often take unnecessary risks, and are described as creative and confident.
If the younger sibling feels like they're the favorite child, their bond with their parents is strengthened and the entire family begins to perceive the youngest siblings as the favorite. So because they are perceived to be the favorite--they actually become the favorite by default.
First-born kids tend to be leaders, like CEOS and founders, and are more likely to achieve traditional success. Middle-born children often embody a mix of the traits of older and younger siblings, and they're very relationship-focused.
Youngest children
at getting their own way, the youngest child's role as baby of the family means that he or she is likely to be indulged. This may mean fewer responsibilities and more opportunities for fun, but youngest children often find that they aren't taken as seriously or given the independence they crave.
An analysis of federal data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) show that young children – those from birth to age 5 – are more likely than older children to be victims of abuse and neglect.
The majority of parents with adult kids agree ages of 0 to 4 were the most stressful, and 29 percent say age 3 was the most difficult time for them. The brunt of it, however, was the teenage years, according to 30 percent of parents.
They become quite independent as they reach 5-6 years of age, even wanting to help you with some of the chores! This is probably why most parents look at age 6 as the magical age when parenting gets easier.
Age 8 Is the Hardest Age to Parent, According to Parent Poll.
The last born child is often described as sociable, charming, loving, and open, but also as temperamental, irresponsible, and self-centered. Birth order has a significant influence on our behavior in adulthood.
I call it Little Sister Syndrome — an affliction that sees many girls ready to use a big sister's success to gain notoriety themselves.
“Little brother syndrome,” as I'm defining it, is a situation where one party sees itself in a one-sided competition to keep up with another and the other party does not often recognize the rivalry.
The reason? The youngest was less of a handful than their more "tricky and demanding" siblings. The survey backs up the results of a study published by researchers at Brigham Young University's School of Family Life which also found the youngest child is the favourite for most families.
Research published in the Journal of Human Resources found that firstborn children outperform their younger siblings on cognitive tests starting from infancy — they are better set up for academic and intellectual success thanks to the type of parenting they experience.
Not surprisingly, only children and last borns are also a good match. An only child is sensible and conscientious, so can take charge in the relationship. The last born brings creativity and adventure into the relationship, so they balance each other out. First borns also do well with middle children.