Step Right Up to the Birth Order Poll!

[CBHagman]

It was a nice bit of synchroncity when I saw the lounge thread about youngest children. I'd been doing a little online reading about birth order.



only child: Chelsea Clinton


eldest child: Barack Obama


middle child: RFK


younger child: Tina Fey



So this is your chance to get some attention based on your position in your family of origin. Are you...

[Kali]

1. yeah, well first borns ARE only kids until the riffraff show up

hrmph

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear CBHagman!

I am the oldest of two; I have a younger brother. But I'm atypical for an oldest child.

We're supposed to be adult oriented, since that is what makes up the family we're born into, and so I was supposed to be serious, studious and like that.

My brother was more the way I was supposed to be, based on birth order anyway, and I was more like a younger child...

Well, that used to be the way I was. I guess I grew up along the way, lol!


:P

[CBHagman]

3. It's never too late to have a happy childhood!

Or, in my case, a happy adolescence.

I am a middle child and have noticed that most of the friends I've made have been eldest/elder children or youngest/younger.

[JanMichael]

4. The older of, hang on let me count, of five wholes and halves.

If count all of the children from other marriages of my genetic parents then nine.

So I'm the oldest of nine.

[PaddyBlueEyes]

5. I was numero uno

luckily for my brothers, I got in trouble first.. :P

[hunter]

6. Eldest in the Catholic style.

My kids have plenty of aunts and uncles thanks to their prolific grandparents.

But the number of cousins is just below replacement value.

Don't tell the Pope, we know about birth control...

[PaddyBlueEyes]

7. Oooooooooooooooooooohhh

No Vatican Roulette for you?

[hunter]

9. No way.

When I was ten years old I knew how to change diapers.

At a very early age, before I was even thinking about sex much, I vowed I was never going to have a baby by accident.

[hyphenate]

8. By birth, probably towards the end

By environment, eldest.

You have to wonder whether it's nurture or nature that people get their strongest traits. I was given up for adoption at birth, but was raised within the family. (My "aunt" was my biological mother; her brother and wife raised me)

I think I come out far more on nature, for some reason, I end up being the leader most often among peers, people tend to go with my general thoughts (when I was in HS, a long time ago, mothers asked their children to stay away from me, as I was supposedly a bad influence!), and my opinions, whether holding water or not, seem to count to people. Most of these are traits of the oldest child.

[CBHagman]

16. Like Raindog below, you prove this is complicated.

There are so many factors involved in upbringing that they influence the dynamic.

Thanks for providing the example!

[RainDog]

10. youngest of 4 and 7

or 2, 4 and 7.

I grew up with three sibs (one of whom is 15 years older, one of whom is 11 years older and another who is 4 years older.)

when I was a teenager I got three more sibs and I was still the youngest.

I wasn't an "oops" exactly but my parents were older than "normal" for other kids my age.

[tango-tee]

11. Oldest child.

I have one sister, who is seven years younger. The age difference worked out really well, there were no jealousies or squabbles between us.

[Skittles]

12. 2nd of 6, the only girl

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

13. Third of seven

oldest daughter. The caretaker to my 4 younger siblings and punching bag of my older brother (one older brother died.)

[Ptah]

14. Other, 2nd of 5.

[CBHagman]

15. Great picture!

Just adorable.

For the purposes of the survey, I'd still consider the second of five a middle child. Second-eldest is a category in other senses, but "middle child" is a broad category and all.

[CBR]

17. Oldest of 2. nt