Comparison Between That Elusive Birth Order Effect And What It Means For You

The stereotypical birth order roles have been ingrained in the etched tablets of time for millennia. The elder child is presumed to be the teacher and in fear of having their throne usurped by their attention pilfering pretender of a younger sibling, while the middle child peers on helplessly; however, this may not always be the case—or at least, not in a direct fashion. In “That Elusive Birth Order Effect and What it Means for You” by Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., Whitbourne proposes that perceived birth order may supersede the physical version and mentions that roles assigned by parents also may have a great deal of influence. Although biological order of birth may have a perceived effect on a child’s destiny, merely being born into this realm at a certain bookmark in the annals of time may have a lesser effect than the perceived order and roles assigned by their parental figure(s).

There are a plethora of factors that could cause this, including ailments of particular children (Lines 27-28). This could result in one or more kinder having a greater deal of mental acuity or maturity than their elder sibling. Another factor is whether or not the gap in age between siblings is a massive chasm or mere crevice (Line 28). Sibling competition may increase with tighter age gaps, but the roles could be extremely blurred in the case of swathes of years between them; however, uncontrollable factors are not the only ones potent enough to influence children’s maturation and