Birth order refers to the order a child is born in their family. Birth order studies can be traced as far back as Galton and Rodgers and Rowe answer the rhetorical question regarding why birth order is of such interest by making a profoundly simple observation. ‘Everyone has a birth order, and it is easy to observe and talk about . . . Characteristics, quality of schooling, quality of parental support are more subtle, less obvious, and more difficult to discuss’. Parents often introduce their children with such comments as "my oldest son," "my youngest daughter." Even at age 78, some siblings are forever labeled as "the baby of the family. Rogers noted that many people would rather refer to stable and observable causes to explain behavior as contrasted with ones that are changing or unobservable (Eckstein 61). Alfred Adler was one of the first people to study birth order and its effects on people. From his research he found out that the position a child had by the order of birth significantly affected the child's growth and personality.  Research in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century shows even greater influence, contributing to intelligence, career choice, and, to a certain degree, success in adulthood. Birth order sets the framework of the oldest child's life and affects their personality, health, and career success through parenting styles; therefore, parents need to be aware and educated on how to be a consistent parent and raise all their children the same way.

No two children have the same set of parents even if they are in the same family. Each child takes on a different role in the family and has different personality. The eldest child was an only child during the first part of their life. That child got the sole love and attention from their parents and did not have to share them with anyone. When that child’s parents have another baby both the parents and that child’s life change forever. That child went from the only child to the oldest child. They have to compete with their new sibling for mommy and daddy’s attention now and have to learn to adapt with the new changes. The oldest child will experience a sense of loss by losing their seat on the familial throne. They lost the special place that they use to singularity hold. All of the attention that was exclusively theirs must now be shared by them and their sibling (Gross). Dr. Gail Gross discovered that, “The eldest child will probably have more in common with other firstborns than their own brothers and sisters. Because they have had so much control and attention from their parents, they are over-responsible, reliable, well-behaved, careful and smaller versions of their own parents”. The title ‘mini me’ comes into play because the oldest child usually acts so much like their parents because that is what they are used to and do not know how else to act. The eldest child is the over achiever that seeks approval of others and wants to be a perfectionist that succeeds at everything. The stereotype for a firstborn child is being a natural leader, ambitious, and responsible. “There’s a benefit to all of that undiluted attention. “‘A 2007 study in Norway showed that firstborns had two to three more IQ points than the next child,’ says Frank J. Sulloway, Ph.D., the author of Born to Rebel” (Ratledge). Other resersch has discovered that three points higher is bigger than you would think, “Three points might not seem like a lot, but it can translate to a 15-point difference in standardized test scores-or Harvard versus a safety college, in some cases” (Gelman). Nearly half of all U.S. presidents were firstborns; only four were last born children in their family. Studies have also linked firstborn children with higher academic achievement and possibly higher intelligence scores when compared to later-born children. This may be due to more exposure to adult language and greater interactions with parents. Oldest children might not always like their younger siblings but they will always be there for them, “Firstborns tend to be surrogate parents when other siblings arrive, hence their protective and responsible nature” (Ratledge). All older children usually have a protective nature towards their younger siblings. They will do everything in their power to defend their siblings and keep them out of harms way. 

When placed in leadership or mentoring roles with their younger siblings, some firstborns may demonstrate aggressive or overbearing behavior. They may boss their brothers or sisters around or pick on them. These behaviors can also happen at school too, making these children difficult with their peers. Parents should help monitor leadership behavior to make sure these children learn to lead with kindness while respecting other people's feelings. Firstborns can harbor some resentment toward siblings because parental attention has to be shared. They strive to hang onto parental affection by conforming, either to their parents' wishes, their teachers', or society's. If this does not bring the attention they want, some firstborns defy authority and misbehave or rebel (Ratledge).

Birth order not only impacts a person’s personality but their wellbeing. Research presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in 2011 found that, “the oldest children were more likely to have hay fever and food allergies than their younger brothers and sisters, according to the research found in a Japanese study of more than 13,000 children between age 7 and 15” (Gelman). The eldest sibling is more likely to have these health effects and food allergies then younger siblings are because of new overprotective parents. New overprotective parents take every measure necessary to prevent their first child from getting sick. Most parents are not as germ overprotective when it comes to their next child. The older overprotected children who are exposed bring germs and bugs home to the younger siblings from school (Gelman). So the younger children get sick more often at an earlier age because of the great exposure to germs but they are able to build up their immune systems. Gelman also found out that “Also, parents might become more lax about detoxing every dropped pacifier from the later-born offspring, which may bolster their immune systems and fend off allergies”. In addition to food allergies and germs, firstborn children are more likely to have diabetes and hypertension. A study looking at blood tests, weight, and body composition was done in New Zealand composed of 85 children between age 4 and 1, “found that first-born kids had less sensitivity to the hormone insulin (a precursor to diabetes) and slightly higher blood pressure compared to later children. Researchers think that changes occurring in the mother’s uterus after her first pregnancy may affect nutrient flow and metabolic differences in subsequent siblings” (Gelman). Another theory is that the oldest child has the personality characteristic of being a driven person which causes them to be more stressed and can later lead to cardiovascular disease. 

Birth order plays a huge role in a shaping the oldest child’s life and they might not be the person they are today if they were the last born. The oldest child is pushed at early ages to reach their goals and career aspirations and therefore forced to enter the adult world at a much earlier age then their later-born siblings (Edington). Only children and first born children are very similar and have high motivational achievement. Parents hold the oldest child and the only child to higher standards and try to give them the best education to reach their career aspirations (Falbo 121). Child can feel like they have disappointed their parents when they cannot measure or meet the high standards their parents have set for them. This can cause the self-convince to plummet because they feel like failures. Firstborns often choose professions that require precision, such as careers in science, medicine, law, engineering, computer science, or accounting (Ratledge).  They are usually more conservative and take on roles like the CEO of a company, a senator or astronaut. They usually make more money than their siblings by having these powerful jobs (Kluger). Studies of CEOs have shown that those who are first-borns tend to run their companies conservatively. They improve things like streamlining product lines, simplifying distribution routes and making sure the trains run on time. Unlike the last-borns who are more likely to blow up the tracks and buy new trains and completely reinvent a company rather than simply reforming or improving it. The thinking between the oldest child and the youngest child is completely different. Each person takes their own steps on what they feel is the best way to handle each situation.

Birth order stereotypes do develop and are not always accurate. The first born child stereotype of always being successful is wrong. The first born does not always take up the role of the typical oldest child and have the overachiever behavior so the middle child takes up this role. An example would be the oldest child is not succeeding in school and decides to drop out and accept being a failure. The middle child would feel like they need to succeed in school and show their parents that they are better than their older sibling. Age spacing also affects the stereotype of the oldest child as well. A 10-year age gap between the children act as like the reset button for the family. There is still a kid in the house long after the oldest child has moved out. The second born child might be brought up like an only child or the oldest child because their sibling is so much older than them and not living in the house anymore. A counter to these claims is saying the majority of the first born children are more successful than their younger counterparts. Yes, there are some children who do not live up to their expectation of the oldest child and let another sibling step up but that isn’t the norm. Most people want to succeed and be the best person they can be but there are always the few that make excuses and they do not work hard to succeed. There can be a huge age gap of like 10 years between siblings. But the rivalry between the oldest child and middle child to succeed happens when the children are closer in age (Ratledge).

Parents are over protective, demanding, and typically do not parent all their children the same way. Once their children's behaviors are defined in terms of birth order, parents too often then excuse their children's behavior using those respective typologies in an "It's out of my control, they are just like that" kind of overgeneralization (Eckstein 61). The family structure really does have causal influences on many developmental features of a child's life, at least within the context of an individual family. Parents directly observe, on a moment-to-moment basis, how the social environment a child experiences changes in the presence or absence of siblings (Eckstein 61). Parents do not raise all their children the same way because some have grown to become lazy and older. They might not feel like punishing one of their children by spanking them because they are no in the mood or they feel like it is just easier to scream at the child instead. Their method of madness has changed which has all changed their parenting style. Parents style is changes over each child,   

As the parent, you remember your first child well: They were the one you watched to make sure they were breathing in their crib, the baby you breastfed and/or sterilized bottles for and carried most of the time. That child is the only child that will ever have his or her parents completely to his/her self; all other children have to share. If you think about it, firstborn children enter a family of adults who are proud of their every progress and frightened by every potential injury. The child caught in the middle is often dominated by the firstborn, who is older, wiser and more competent. By the time the baby arrives, parents are usually worn down, worn out and less likely to micro-manage. By now, you know your baby is not going break, and therefore, you can be more flexible in both attention and discipline. As a result, your baby learns early on to seduce and entertain (Gross).

Parents change up the way they parent each of their children but are not aware that they do this. They think they are doing the same punishments for each child but really they are not. Usually as a parent gets older they seem to slack and become more lenient on what they let their child get away with. 

Parents need to be educated to on ways to parent all their children the same way and be consistent parents across the board. Variation is parenting styles between kids is not always a good thing. As mentioned before, firstborn often feel pressure to succeed or perform well. This can come from either their parents or through their own inner drives. They often are called on to take care of younger siblings or do chores because they are responsible. Firstborns also are given the pressure to be a good example for their siblings. If they do not appease their parents, then they feel horrible inside and some parents just punish firstborns for not measuring up which makes the situation worse. If firstborns know they cannot meet these expectations or fear that they cannot then they often become depressed. Even the most extreme case resort to the firstborn committing suicide to escape the pain they feel. Parents need to realize that firstborns are perfect and never will be. They are only human and no one is perfect. Typically, firstborn children are willing to please their parents and they should not yet as much criticism as they recieve. Parents cannot focus on the minor imperfections of their children but should look at the good things their child is doing. 

Parents need to be aware and educated on how to be a consistent parent and raise all their children the same way because birth order sets the framework of the oldest child's life and affects their personality, health, and career success through parenting styles. This education could include forming parent groups where experts come and talk to parents about ways to make sure their parenting is the same for each child. This could go as far as punishing the children the same way or as small as saying no to all the children when at the candy store compared to giving into the youngest child. As each child is born the parents are get older as well. Parents cannot be so lenient with age but make sure they are being consistent. This might be harder said then the done but if parents are aware of their parenting styles then they might try harder to make sure they react to each of their children the same. Birth order effects children and causes them to grew up different then their siblings. But parenting plays a huge role in birth order and which child they give into or give more attention too.    
