Out of many possible factors, birth order is one that psychologists use to determine traits that could be found in siblings. There are some obvious ones, like the oldest is responsible and the youngest is babied, but there are many other things that can be used to predict personality from birth order. My family happens to exemplify these stereotypical traits fairly well. 

Being the oldest, I’ve always been told that I am supposed to be responsible for the actions of my younger brothers. That has shifted a little since they have gotten older and make more of their own decisions, but I am still considered the typically responsible oldest child. This trait helps me to do certain tasks; for example, I am a pretty good babysitter because I am used to having to teach younger children what is right and what is wrong, and helping them understand the expectations that their parents have for them. However, this trait also makes me slightly bossy, as I tend to think that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself; then, when I do have to split the responsibility with someone else, I typically am watching over their shoulder in a sense to make sure they do what they’re supposed to. Oldest children are often considered to be smarter than average. They also are more prone to stress and worry because they are somewhat anxious people, which does apply to me in some senses. I often feel, as do other oldest children that I know, that I tend to take the role of stand-in parent in a lot of different situations that happen between my brothers, but I love being able to give them advice when they go through circumstances that I have already dealt with. 

I have two middle brothers, and between the two of them they cover most of the typical traits of a middle child. They are both extremely competitive and seek attention from others through adventure and rebellion. Both of them can be quite moody but are good decision-makers. Other traits characteristic of middle children are being somewhat insecure, independent, and having difficulty getting along with adults. Being the middle child is often considered the most difficult because of the competition from either side, but if they try hard, they can often find areas that they excel in. Middle children are usually more easygoing than their siblings and are extroverted. They don’t experience the pressure of the oldest children or the “babying” of the youngest, so they have more freedom as far as their role. 

My youngest brother is very much a youngest child. They typically take longer to mature because they are babied by the rest of their family, and can have a hard time with the concept of growing up. They often do not take responsibility for anything because they are not used to needing to since their older siblings would always take care of chores. They also usually have lower motivation and work ethic and are very dependent. However, they are typically well-liked by those around them and are considered charming, although not known for their intelligence levels. They are usually rebellious and attention-seeking, but also funny and outgoing. 

Although, obviously, I am not an only child and neither are my siblings, there are also certain traits associated with being an only child. For example, they are typically more mature, as they are mostly raised by their parents which leads to a more adult-oriented environment, and they are good at conversing with adults. However, they are used to receiving a lot of attention from their parents, and younger only children tend to expect to receive that same level of attention in other situations in their lives, so they have to learn the hard way that typically people in charge have to divide their attention between other people that also need their help. Only children tend to struggle with social connections early on in their lives because they are not surrounded by other children like people with siblings are, but once they figure out how to communicate with their peers, they are very well-liked and charismatic. 

There are a lot of factors that go into personality that psychologists also believe in; the overall opinion about personality and how it comes about is impacted by other factors such as biologically influenced traits, mental processes, and situational factors. However, birth order is extremely important to personality as it affects the situation that a child grows up in and the expectations placed on them from very early on in their lives. The idea of birth order and personality is also considered accurate because these traits are visible in many people across different cultures and familial situations. Many people, when asked, will say that their personality does coincide with some traits that are typical of those who were born in the same order as them. So, with that in mind, consider your own personality and whether or not these typical traits fit you and your siblings. Are you an oldest child, responsible and a little bit of a perfectionist? Are you a middle child, easy-going and attention-seeking? Are you a youngest child, spoiled and outgoing? Or are you an only child, mature and charismatic? Of course, there is going to be some overlap of traits because of the other factors that I mentioned earlier, but there should be some traits that you can identify within yourself that are typical of your birth order.