How Birth Order Affects Your Child's Personality Development

Think about your birth order in your family of origin.  Were you an oldest? Middle? Youngest? Only?  Your birth order has a significant impact on the development of your personality.  In this four minute Pep Talk, I describe the motto that the child of each birth order develops.

Think about what some of the positive and negative traits that you developed.  In this three minute audio Pep Talk, I explain some of the generalizations.  Do you fit into these stereotypes?  Many of you do, but if not, no worries!

There are only birth order generalizations, if you don't fit, there is a reason.

Sometimes there is a family dynamic that upsets the development, and that is OK.  The most important thing is to understand why you, and you children, don't fit if that is the case.

For example, when I first did this exercise, I identified much more with the only-child traits.  Despite the fact that I am the oldest of four children, all close in age.  Upon further contemplation, I realized that even though I was the oldest, I was the only girl.

So much of my childhood, I was raised separately from my brothers.

Where the three of them had to share one room, I had my own room.  They did many "boy" activities together, and I was solitary in many of my endeavors.  All this led to me developing many more only child characteristics than oldest.

Once you have observed your own childhood, you can now contemplate that of your children.  Are they following the stereotypes?  Or are they fitting into a different category?  Again, this is only observation and understanding and not to try to put any child into a "supposed to be like this" box.

Now it's time to figure out what to do.  How can you enhance the positive personality traits for each child?  How can you mitigate some of the negative or unhelpful traits in each child?  In this four minute Pep Talk, I describe just how you can do this for each of your children.

To learn more about birth order and so much more, please join me for the Positive Parenting Online Class.