INDEPTHPAGE8 Feb. 22, 2016 E

Does BIRTHORDER matter?

OLDEST CHILD

MIDDLECHILDYOUNGESTCHILD

by EMILYOSTDIEKcenter section editor

by ALONSOLOPEZcenter section writer

reliablestructured

cautious controlling

achieving

people- pleasers

rebellious

friendship oriented

peacemakers

competitive

free-spirited

uncomplicated

manipulative

attention- seekingOLDESTCHILD MIDDLECHILD YOUNGESTCHILD

conscientious

What do

charmingmore agreeable

persistant

Does the birth order of twins matter too?

Debunking the ‘only child’ stereotypes

I am the oldest twin by thirty-one minutes. Of course I TRY and use seniority in arguments and decisions but then we just fight and do as we both please.

I am the most respon-sible.

I would say my per-sonality is more outgoing. I’m talkative, outgoing, and funny. My sister is shy, non-talkative and boring.

I would say ever since I had a child, my sister is the favorite. But that’s also because she’s a cry-baby so....

-Mercedes Morales,

Sometimes my sister she uses her thirty-one minutes of seniority over me. She definitely does in argu-ments.

My sister has an outgoing, loud, and funny personality. I’m very shy. It takes me awhile to get comfort-able around people.

In the past I have been the most responsible one. Now, my sister is becoming more responsible. I think I am the favorite because I’m the baby in the family.

-Ariel Morales, 11

Double Trouble

Most of sophomore Rachelle Palser’s friends think she has it made in the shade. After all, she is an only child.

There is no such thing as waiting for her turn at home, in which she has the constant undivided attention of her parents, and all the presents for Christmas.

Rachelle, however, begins to differ with the stereotypes that society has about only children.

perfectionist responsible open-minded

cooperative independent

curious

“I think some only children tend to be the ones who get spoiled more.

This causes them to grow and become people who look at everything being easy. Just because a lot of only children get

what they want. It isn’t really their fault that they were

raised or came up that way. So we really can’t blame them for anything.

They are just like us. Just only Chil-dren which has its advantages coming from a child who’s from a big family.”

-Adrian Galindo, 12

YOU

child?an only think of

“Being an only child is one of most luxurious things anyone could ever ask for. Although there may be pros and cons at the core. Being an only child may be a

very lonely experience growing up, and also the reasons that would convince me to be an only child would be the spoiling and the things I would receive.”

-Andrew Lopez,9

“Being an only child can be fun, but at the same time sad.

Because you might get spoiled, it would be a wonderful life style, but at the same time

nobody to talk to or play with.”-Perla Camargo,11

All of the teach-ers he had already know who I am because of my old-er brother. Which isn’t a bad thing at all, but they just usually expect me to be as outgoing

and talkative as him and I’m not! Last year when he was a senior and I was a freshman everyone called me “Barraza’s little sister”, I don’t even think they knew my first name. But this year now that’s he gone I’m just Madi! Most teachers and my peers expect me to run because my mom did and so did Matthew so they’re always surprised when I say I’m a soccer player! They also assume that I’ll be just as confi-dent and have the same attitude as my brother but were two completely differ-ent people. I’m the shy and quiet one!

-Madi Baraza, 10

Having a sibling come before you gives you a taste of what high school is like even before you get in it. That helped me adapt to the high school life easier. I’d say I’m treated like everyone else. I guess I have expecta-tions of fitting in with upperclassmen because I’ve already had a sibling that is friends with them.

-Noah Bruner,10

Having Kyra go through high school before me affected me because all the teachers knew who I was and knew Kyra. A path was set for me before I even got to the high school. I am treated pretty well because Kyra left a good history at the school and was a well-rounded student. I have higher expectations than most stu-dents and I am expected to get good

grades. I am also expected to be very athletic.-Erin Willats, 10

Living up to expectations?Is following in the footsteps of an older sibling a good thing?

Find Junior Alisha Gutierrez in the hallway and chances are very good she will be surrounded by a group of her friends.

Her laid back nature and people-pleasing per-sonality make her a magnet for others.

Some might say Gutierrez was just born this way, but some experts argue a lot of her personali-ty is determined by her birth order. In fact, experts believe that all people are greatly influenced by the order in which they are born.

Middle children are stereotyped as negotiators and people pleasers, while the oldest are stereo-typed as responsible. The youngest are almost always assumed to be spoiled.

However, more often than not, these “stereo-types” prove to be reality in many homes.

The Leaders of the PackFirst born children get a head start on life.

With no older siblings to blaze a trail of behavior, the oldest children are the first to make the rules and, consequently, the first to break them. First time parents tend to parent more strictly their first “go around.” Because they have no experience, first time parents often take the most precaution with their oldest.

“I have a lot more rules than my siblings,” said Junior Haylee Ceplecha, who is the oldest of seven. “My parents have rules and if I break them, if I

dare to, my consequences are severe and set.”Because first time parents have little to compare

their first child to, the expectations of the first born tend to be higher than the younger siblings.

“My parents treat me differently than my broth-ers when it comes to expectations. They expect me to be more responsible, smart, and available,” Ceplecha said.

Although most first born children deal with limiting restrictions and high expectations, being the first born does come with its own perks.

“Getting privileges has kind of been a constant thing as the oldest. For as long as I’ve known I’ve always been able to stay up later than the rest of my brothers,” said Ceplecha.

Most first born children see these privileges as well deserved.

“I do a lot for my parents, like watching my brothers a lot and also my foster children, so getting these privileges is them showing that they are grate-ful,” Ceplecha said.

The high expectations placed on first born chil-dren often cause them to develop similar character-istics. The first born children are often perceived as reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, control-ling, and over achieving.

“I’m a lot more dominant and authoritative than my siblings,” said Ceplecha. Although oldest children feel restricted at times, they find the positives to outweigh the negatives.

“I love being able to tell my brothers what to do

and them not being able to tell me that. I love the relationship I have with my mom and I don’t think that if I was younger I would have had that with her,” said Ceplecha.

The Forgotten Child“I don’t want to believe it, but the “forgotten

middle child” is a real thing,” Junior Alisha Gutier-rez said.

Parents of middle children are more experi-enced. Therefore, they will raise their middle kids with less of an iron fist.

“I do feel like I get away with a lot more than my older siblings. My parents are pretty lenient with me when it comes to rules,” Gutierrez said.

Parents of middle children must shift their prac-tices and give attention to multiple children at once. Because of this, a middle child tends to feel like they receive the least amount of attention out of all of the children.

“Occasionally I’ll be in my room and my mom will forget to tell me dinner is ready. Sometimes when I’m out and forget to tell her I left, I remember by the time she realizes,” Gutierrez said.

This causes a middle child to be less of a perfec-tionist but more of a people pleaser, due to the lack of attention he or she gets in compared to the older siblings.

Although middle children often perceive them-selves as forgotten, this neglect seems to help middle children in the long run.

Many middle children have made their mark in

history. Fifty-two percent of U.S. Presidents identify as a middle child.

These presidents share many characteristics common among middle children.

Middle children tend to be more independent, think outside the box, feel less pressure to conform, and are more empathetic.

Even though many middle children often look unfavorable at their placement in the family, Gutier-rez views the role of the middle child both positively and negatively.

“It’s bitter sweet being the middle child. It’s nice because I can get away with flying under the radar, but that can be the problem too.”

The Baby“I get spoiled a lot. If I ask for something from

my parents I usually get it,” Jaramillo said. Youngest children share many characteristics.

The “babies” of the family can be viewed as free- spirited, uncomplicated, manipulative, attention-seeking, and self-centered.

“Personality wise I’m nothing like any of my other siblings. I am by far the most daring and I al-ways push boundaries,” Senor Austin Petersen said.

Although the youngest receive many perks from their parents, Sophomore McKay Lake believes that one of the greatest benefits of being a youngest child comes from his siblings.

“I can call them for advice. I benefit from my brothers’ experiences because I know what to do and what not to do in high school,” Lake said.

According to a recent U.S census, 23 percent of American Families have one child, in which the number increases as a city’s population does.

In recent studies, economists looked at 26 years of data, which concluded that only children are actually better off in life, than children with bigger families.

Experts found, that with every addition of a new sibling, children had their behavioral and cogent ability decrease, the effects followed later on in the child’s life.

Researchers say it’s because parent’s resources

and attention are stretched thinner with every addi-tion of a child.

However Rachelle begs to differ with the study, “I feel like families should have more than one child, because being an only child isn’t always the best, not too much of a number like 9 or 10, but a reasonable number like 2 or 3 “, Palser said.

“Being an only child can be really lonely,” Palser said, “I wish I had some siblings”.

Although Palser does not have any siblings, one thing an only child can always count on are friend-ships.

Unfortunately only children can receive some type of flak from friends for not having any siblings, Rachelle however debunks that theory.

“I don’t really get anything bad from my friends, it is more like people want to come over to my house because they want to get away from their annoying younger siblings,” according to Palser.

“I do not have any siblings, so it is just one of those things, a lot of people say that only kids are stuck up and spoiled, but I don’t really think I’m stuck up”, Palser said.

One aspect that only children face a congru-ent amount of times in their life time would be a constant lonely feeling in which can lead to social problems that make it much more difficult for chil-dren to socialize.

“It depends on the person,” Palser said. “At first I am really quite until I get to know you

better, Just cause you’re not really use to being so social with other people, you’re not so use to being so social with other people all time so you’re really quite at first”, Palser said

Cons of being an only child are definitely at large, especially when it comes to Christmas and Birthdays.

“You get a lot more presents, not like a ton but there are no other siblings for your parents to put money on, so you get a lot, “Palser said.

Despite the Presents and glamour of being an only child, sometimes only children cannot help but wonder what it would be like to have other siblings.

“I really wish I had other siblings, because it would be nice to have a younger brother to look up to me, and I can Role model,” Palser said.

“Especially the fact that I’m leaving in a few years, (to college) I definitely don’t want to leave her alone”, according to Palser.

No doubt that stereotype is at large for only chil-dren, specifically the rumor of them being “sassy” or “selfish”.

“I feel like you’re more willing to share, if you’re an only child because you are so use to things being given to you and so when you get to opportunity to give back you does, ”Palser said.

When being addressed about the emotion and feeling of the stereotypes about only children being “stuck up” and “rude” Palser had this to day.

“I feel like it is all on how you’re raised, If you’re an only child, sometimes being alone can make you more likely to help people out because you’re so lonely, and you just want to help and explore” Said Palser.

No doubt only children are different. Only Children have it made much different for them, compared to children who have a lot more siblings.

Different characteristics of only children can range from being Independent, to some of the big-gest introverts in society.

Since Only Children spend so much time alone they tend to be self- entertainers and due to this, are the most creative and self-inspiriting ones of the entire birth orders.

Only children are confident, well- spoken, and role models.

Stereotypes are the constant struggle of being an only child, but that is all they are….only stereotypes.