[nancynic]

In Frank Sulloway's book entitled 'Born to Rebel' (1997) he compares birth order to personality traits including: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, nerosis and openness.

Here are some findings:

Oldest child: highest achievers, highest IQ, greatest educational success and fewest academic problems, highest motivation and need for achievement, over-represented among college students/graduate students/college faculty and other academic groups, affliative under stress, least conventional sexuality, most affiliative.

Middle child: fewest 'acting out problems', sociable, greatest feeling of not belonging, superior in team sports, relates well to older and younger people, competes in areas not attempted by oldest, lowest need for intellectual achievement.

Youngest child: greatest over-representation of psychiatric disorders, most likely to be an alcoholic, empathetic, characteristics of oldest in anxiety, highest representation among writers (especially autobiographers and family historians), over represented in activities involving interplay, most popular.

Single child: high need for achievement, most go to college, most behavior problems, lowest need for affiliation, most need affiliation under stress, loners and lonely, under-represented among psychiatric clients, most likely to be referred for clinical help.

Do you agree?
Let us know ~

Nancy

[Papamba]

Hi Nancy, I really enjoy reading your posts and the comments from others regarding your thoughts/ideas. I was just wondering...Do you have a background in education? I taught for 8 years before my son was born and most of your posts remind me of ideas shared/encouraged in the schools where I taught. Like I said...just wondering.

Pam

[nancynic]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for your post and question.

Yes, I teach foster and adoptive parents (and social workers), through the College for Lifelong Learning (Education and Training Partnership) in New Hampshire. I have a background in Social Work and really enjoy working with parents and talking about kids! I teach in the classroom and also have an online course on Infant and Toddler Development. I also have taught noon hour parenting classes in businesses (series of 10 classes). I have learned so much from my children and from the parents I teach!

I'd love to hear about your teaching.

all best wishes,
Nancy