# Oldest? Youngest? Middle? Here’s What Your Birth Order Says About You - Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/parenting/oldest-youngest-middle-heres-what-your-birth-order-says-about-you/ - Published: 2017-09-01T14:37:57+10:00 - Author: Clare Whitfield ###### This article has been republished with full permission from 󠀁[PureWow](https://www.purewow.com/family/birth-order-and-personality)󠁿 ## _Are firstborn kids�really�destined to be more successful than their siblings?_ > Do all middle children have jealousy issues? If you’re the baby of the family, > �[are you as naturally hilarious as you think you are](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/benefits-of-being-youngest_us_57198f6ee4b0d4d3f722e842)? > According to research, there’s evidence to back up these clich�s. So relax, parents: > Nature may triumph over nurture”�or at least steal its favorite toy just to watch > it scream. ## **IF YOU’RE THE OLDEST”�** > You’re likely a natural-born leader. Responsible, obedient and loyal,�[you’re likelier to pursue higher education](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10651698_Beliefs_About_Birth_Rank_and_Their_Reflection_in_Reality) > �than your younger sibs.�And up to�[30 percent likelier](http://ftp.iza.org/dp10560.pdf) > �to land a management position like CEO (and with it, a higher salary) than later- > born children. You may read at least an hour a day more than your younger siblings. > �[And have a higher IQ](https://www.livescience.com/1651-study-older-siblings-higher-iqs.html). > Boom. [⌊Two young girls sitting on a wooden bench showcasing different birth orders and personalities⌉⌊Two young girls sitting on a wooden bench showcasing different birth orders and personalities⌉ ](https://www.pexels.com/photo/portrait-of-happy-girls-sitting-326565/) [via pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/portrait-of-happy-girls-sitting-326565/) > But hold up: What’s the reason behind all these apparent advantages? If you guessed“ > parental pressure,” you’d be right (as usual). A firstborn child’s “inexperienced, > loving parents, often have very high expectations for him,”�[writes one expert](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-raise-happy-cooperative-child/201605/the-effect-birth-order-children). > Held to a higher standard and eager to please, “The firstborn child can end up > feeling very pressured to succeed and become a perfectionist, often equating love > with success.” [⌊Happy young girls hugging outdoors illustrating sibling love and family dynamics⌉⌊Happy young girls hugging outdoors illustrating sibling love and family dynamics⌉ ](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/pexels-photo-225017.jpeg?quality=89&ssl=1) [via pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/2-girls-hugging-each-other-outdoor-during-daytime-225017/) ## **IF YOU’RE THE MIDDLE CHILD”�** > Middle children “are far less likely than their siblings to be in therapy, get > divorced or be neurotic,” say the authors of�[_The Secret Power of Middle Children_](http://www.thesecretpowerofmiddlechildren.com/). > Peacekeeping and empathetic, you are probably�[a great team player](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/field-guide-families/201210/the-secret-powers-middle-children). > �But hey, Miss Independent: You can be a leader, too. > [⌊Understanding how birth order influences personality traits and family dynamics⌉⌊Understanding how birth order influences personality traits and family dynamics⌉ ](https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-boy-children-cute-242148/) > [via pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-boy-children-cute-242148/) > Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, Madonna and Martin Luther King Jr.? All middle children. > �[Patient, social and open to compromise](http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/health/birth-order/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_article), > you are likely an excellent negotiator (see also that thing about being less likely > to get divorced). On the flip side, there’s also a whole “syndrome” devoted to > your overlooked place in the pecking order. Middles have a hard time saying no > and “have lower self-esteem than other birth orders because of their lack of uniqueness > and attention at home,” writes�[expert Katrin Schumann](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/field-guide-families/201210/the-secret-powers-middle-children). > They’re also more likely to be arrested (!) than their siblings. And on a related > note, moms of middles, gird your loins: “[Middleborns are less likely to turn to their parents for help in an emergency](http://www.sulloway.org/BirthOrder-Sulloway-1999a.pdf).” [⌊Image of two young girls with blonde hair smiling and hugging outdoors⌉⌊Image of two young girls with blonde hair smiling and hugging outdoors⌉ ](https://www.pexels.com/photo/2-girl-on-grey-and-pink-dress-on-daytime-160504/) [via pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/2-girl-on-grey-and-pink-dress-on-daytime-160504/) ## **IF YOU’RE THE YOUNGEST”�** > [You’re likelier to take risks and be open to new experiences](http://www.sulloway.org/BirthOrder-Sulloway-1999a.pdf). > Hence your rep as a rebel.�You’re also�[more relaxed and easygoing�](http://www.sulloway.org/BirthOrder-Sulloway-1999a.pdf) > than your siblings (and with less discipline but lots of parental attention, why > wouldn’t you be?) and more likely to seek out an artistic occupation”�[or work in sales](http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/10/22/cb.birth.order.career/index.html). > In short, you’re the life of the party. But “babies” of the family are often treated > as helpless out of habit”�and frequently for far too long. As a result, youngest > sibs are found to be the most�[financially irresponsible](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/personality-traits-linked-to-birth-order/). > On the upside, you may be just as funny as�[you think you are](https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/01/17/birth-order-personality/). > Want indisputable evidence? Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Eddie Murphy and Stephen > Colbert are all the youngest kids in their families. [⌊Three children standing on rocks representing different birth orders outdoors⌉⌊Three children standing on rocks representing different birth orders outdoors⌉ ](https://www.pexels.com/photo/3-kids-standing-on-rock-234544/) [via pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/3-kids-standing-on-rock-234544/) > This article has been republished with full permission from PureWow – [Read the original article here.](https://www.purewow.com/family/birth-order-and-personality) ![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/ 12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1) Clare Whitfield Chief Editor Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work. [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [ ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)