Whether you come from a big or small family, you can bet that your family has had a significant impact on your life. That being said, there are no two families that are alike and there are no two siblings that are alike, either. As it turns out whether you are the oldest, youngest, or even the middle child in your family, can have a big effect on your personality and is a big part of why we are the way we are. 

It can determine the way we live our lives and how we deal with friendship, love, and work. Sometimes you may wonder how it is you and your sibling come from the same family because you are so different. As it turns out, your birth order may be the key to why your personalities differ so much. 

Oldest Child

As the first child, you are automatically the guinea pig for your parents. You are the first one to be potty trained, learn how to ride a bike and how to tie your shoe; the first to learn how to drive and to graduate high school. Because of this, you will always be special in your parents eyes, and most likely your younger siblings will look up to you. 

There may be perks of being the first child, but your parents are usually the most strict with you and the role also comes with a great deal of responsibility. You not only have your parents to please, but you have to set a good example for your younger siblings. Because of this, firstborns tend to be reliable, structured, cautious, controlling, and over-achievers. They tend to want to be the best at everything they do and are constantly seeking approval from their parents. Oldest children tend to pursue intellectual careers in fields such as medicine, engineering, or law. Famous firstborns include Oprah, Hillary Clinton, Sylvester Stallone and Bill Clinton. 

Middle Child

The middle child often feels like they get the short end of the stick. The oldest child receives a lot of attention from their parents, because they are the first, and so does the youngest as the baby of the family. Then, there is the middle child who often gets lost and feels ignored. Middle children tend to be people-pleasers, diplomatic, easy-going, somewhat rebellious, and peacemakers. As a peacemaker, the middle child often has good negotiating skills and is able to put an end to most arguments. Middle children also tend to be very social, and it is likely that they will pick an intimate circle of friends to represent their extended family. Often, middle children thrive in power careers and entrepreneurial roles that allow them to use their negotiating and social skills. These careers help give them the attention that they longed for as children. Some famous middle children include Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Steve Forbes.

Youngest Child 

Youngest children receive a lot of attention from parents because they are the baby of the family. They often have more freedom than the other children due to the fact that by the time they come around their parents have experienced just about everything and they tend to be more lenient. Because of this, youngest children are often independent. They also tend to be charming, creative, have a good sense of humor and able to manipulate others in order to get their way. Youngest children gravitate towards more artistic jobs, perhaps in the entertainment business. They are found to be successful in jobs such as journalism, advertising, art, design, and sales. Famous last borns include Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Cameron Diaz, and Rosie O’Donnell. 

Only Child

Only children grow up around adults and therefore tend to be more verbal and more mature than other children. They not only play the role of the oldest child, they also play the role of the youngest. They are similar to first borns in the way that they are motivated to conform to parental expectations. They also tend to be achievement oriented, successful in school and more confident, articulate and imaginative than other children. Like first borns they, too, tend to be perfectionists. Famous only children include Tiger Woods, and Maria Sharapova. 

Sibling rivalry is a natural part of being in a family, but there are pros and cons to every position in the family and not one is better than the other. As an oldest child, I can attest to having to put up with more rules and regulations than my younger siblings, but I also know that they are expected to follow in my footsteps and that can sometimes be hard. I fight with my siblings as I am sure you fight with your own. But we would not be family if we didn’t have that healthy competition. In the end even though we may be different than our siblings, that is what makes us unique as a family and unique as people. Who would really want it any other way?