Birth Order

1 Birth order has a definite affect on a child’s development. How is it that two or more individuals have the same parents, live in the same house, and become completely different adults (Barrymore)? Birth order plays an important role in a child’s personality development, career choices, and even intelligence. Parents unintentionally treat each child differently, based on their position in the family. The more children parents have the more relaxed they become with …

…girls, and only girl among boys (Stein). Each child is treated differently based on his or her birth order. With the exception of an only child birth order personalities are established by age two. If there is at least five years between the first and second child the first child will maintain the only child personality. The second child will take over the first born personality if any children follow his or her birth (Forer, 37).