• Oldest often asked to look after younger siblings & develop leadership skills
Archetypically:
• High-achievers & perfectionists
• Sometimes dominating
• Seek approval from parents & authority
• Careful models of parents
• Highest expectations from parents
Oldest children
Middle
• Middle often have to mediate
oldest/youngest disagreements
• Often get less attention from parents
Archetypically:
• Flexible personalities
• Gifted moderators/negotiators
• Late bloomers
• Different interests than older sibling
• Least amount of attention from parents
Middle children
Youngest
• Get left out of adult discussions and have to “perform” for attention
• Parents less strict with youngest
• Parents have more practice at parenting and sometimes more $
Archetypically:
• Gifted performers
• Funny/charming
• Sometimes irresponsible
• Often bond with oldest sibling
• Parents least strict with youngest
Youngest children
Only
• Only children spend more time around adults;
adopt adult behaviors sooner
• Only children learn to work on their own; most independent
Archetypically:
• “Little adults”
• Verbally gifted
• Imaginative and intelligent
• Sometimes don’t adapt socially
• Parents treat them like adults
• Often bond with other oldest siblings
Only children
Archetypically:
• Interdependent / lifetime bond
• Similar interests
• Often have own language
• Often enter same career