*Birth order alters the world affecting millions without their choice. People are not able to choose the order of their birth. Birth order is random and one must accept the order in which they are born. Birth order affects many aspects of a person’s life, “The order we are born in has some effect on our personalities… researchers at Duke have found that some of these personality traits are related to the fact that parents behave differently with each additional child” (Green). Parents are stricter with their first born child then their last born child. First born children also have a greater pressure to succeed placed on them then their younger siblings. The first born child sometimes would get the short end of the stick, “With the oldest, parents in the study reported much more stringent disciplinary measures. The oldest child is more likely to face punishment then middle and youngest children for bringing home a bad grade while the second and third child were let off a little easier” (Green). The unfair extra pressure on the oldest child motivates and pushes them to have a greater academic success rate in school and earn the higher paying jobs. Psychotherapist Alfred Adler, who founded the school of individual psychology, had a great interest in the study of birth order. He 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 influences contributing to intelligence, career choice, and, to a certain degree, success in adulthood (Birth Order). 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. Parents act differently between each of their children. The oldest and the youngest child will see different sides of mom and dad. Parents grew in their parenting styles as time goes so on between the course of their children. Overall each child will not experience his or her parents the same way as their siblings. Difference in parenting causes each child to take on a different role in the family and has an impact on their developing personality. The eldest child was an only child during the first part of their life. Parents gave that child their sole love and attention and they did not have to share that attention with anyone else. 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. Competition now occurs with their new sibling for mommy and daddy’s sole attention. Everyone has to learn to adapt with the new changes. The oldest child will experience a sense of loss by losing their seat on the throne. * Attention has to be shared by all siblings so the oldest child loses their special treatment (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 differences in parenting styles between each child shapes a child and their personality. Parenting styles and the way a child was brought up determines who they will be in the future. 

Growing up, the eldest child has been known to take on the role of being an 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. Studies have shown that the first born child benefits intellectually from all the attention early on in life, “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). So that being said, birth order and IQ scores have a correlation. This is a positive correlation because higher IQ scores are linked with the oldest child and vice versa. Other research has discovered that three points higher is bigger than it seems, “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). First born children do have an advantage intellectually being the first born because their higher IQ score allow them to do better on standardized tests then their younger siblings. There are possible reasons why first born children have higher IQs, “This may be due to more exposure to adult language and greater interactions with parents” (Ratledge). Children spend more time with their parents when they are the first born because they do not have any siblings to play with and do not have to compete for their parent’s attention. Spending more time with parents could help build a child’s vocabulary and help them speak more mature at an earlier age. * 

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  health effects and food allergies then younger siblings are because of new overprotective parents. New parents tend to 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 “*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”. Parents do not take every safety measure possible with their second child like they did with their first. In their minds they see that they might have overdone it with their first child. But now with their second child they do not even come close to the same safety standards. Parents need to open their eyes and be more aware of this and find a happy medium that they stick to for all their children. 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…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” (Gelman). The first born child runs a greater risk for these issues that can affect their health later on in life. First born children have to be aware of these health threats so they can live as healthy lives as they can. The reason why first born children have these health effects is due to the mother’s body. 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). * This means that the mother’s body is different during pregnancy for her firstborn child. This could consequently cause diabetes for the first child to be genetic. Genetics do play a role in the health of a child but parents can take preventive matters to protect all their children from illnesses. But parents need to decide a head of time how they are going to protect all their children. If they are going to get one child vaccinated, then they should get all their children vaccinated or if they are going to wipe down all the toys of the first born child after use then they need to do it for all the children. It’s only fair that all children that have the ability to be protected from diseases like their siblings.  

The first born child is more likely to have greater career success then their siblings because parents put more pressure on them to do well academically. First born children have higher IQs and strive to do well in school. They are more likely to choose careers that are more difficult and challenge them academically, “Firstborns often choose professions that require precision, such as careers in science, medicine, law, engineering, computer science, or accounting” (Ratledge). People who enter these fields are very well educated and motivated people who are determined to get the job done. Types of these jobs might include CEOs, astronauts, or senators. Overall first born children make more money in their jobs then their younger siblings because they have the motivation and drive to get the education first then go for the high paying jobs (Kluger). *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 67). This requires maturity and responsibility to succeed. The first born has to take their school work seriously so they can get into college. While the younger siblings have more time to be kids because they are the youngest and the baby of the family. Most people would think that siblings would be very similar in academic motivation but that is not the case. Only children and first born children are actually similar and have high motivational achievement the siblings in a family. 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). A 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 their self-confidence to plummet because they feel like failures. The high standards parents put on first born can be too much and can take a toll on the child’s health. According to psychiatrist Sue Varma, MD, on DoctorOz.com, “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” (Gelman). The first born child will try their very best to be a perfectionist and meet all the high standards parents expect them to reach. But the standards can be too high and leave the child feeling stressed out that they are not going to succeed and upset their parents. Parents need to realize the amount of pressure they are putting on their children and realize when they are over doing it. Too much pressure leads to stress which could be detrimental to a child in the long run. Parents need to help their children set reasonable goals that they are likely to reach that the child agrees with. *

While typically the first born child is academically driven and pressured into succeeding but this is not always true. Birth order stereotypes do develop and are not always accurate. The first born child stereotype of always being successful isn’t true. The first born does not always take on the role of the typical oldest child and have the overachiever behavior so the middle child takes up this role. An example of this might be if the oldest child is not succeeding in school and decides to drop out and accept the idea of 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 children is like a reset button for a 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. Different situations affect different families so a scenario will not be the same for every single person. But overall 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 is not 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. Every case is different for each family but the vast majority of families have an oldest child who is motivated and becomes more successful than their siblings. * 

*Parents do not raise all their children the same way because some have grown to become lazy as they get 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 altered their parenting style. 

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 on ways to parent all their children the same way and be consistent across the board. Variation in parenting styles can sometimes be a good thing as it shows that parents are growing and learning what works and what does not work when parenting their children. But parents cannot do a complete one 180 on their parenting styles between children. It is unfair to children if their parents are stricter on them then their younger siblings. It makes a child feel like they got the short end of the stick. *As already mentioned before, firstborn often feel pressure to succeed or perform well. This can come from either their parents or through their own inner drives to be a perfectionist. Firstborns also feel like they have to set good example for their siblings and be the golden child. *Typically, firstborn children are willing to do anything to please their parents and be praised. Parents cannot focus on the minor imperfections of their children but should look at the good things their child is doing. They should give them a hug or tell them they love them. No one is perfect so parents can’t expect perfection. It’s important to love your children the way they are

Parents need to be aware and educated on how to be a consistent parent and raise all their children the same way *. This education could include forming parent groups where experts come and talk to parents about ways to make sure their parenting is consistent 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 should not be so lenient or relaxed as they age in their parenting.  The need to be consistent is crucial. 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 grow up differently then their siblings. Not only does birth order help set the framework for the oldest child’s life but parenting does too. Children no matter how old they are, are shaped by their parents.
