1. Personality: Sibling Rivalry & Birth Order

2. 3/19 Warm-up:
Answer the questions on birth order….

3. Sibling-Relationships
How can a sibling relationship be a positive part of a family?
- role models
- supporters
- members of a coalition when dealing with parents

4. Sibling Roles What role do you have? Playmates & Companions
Teachers & Learners
Protectors & Dependants
Role Models
Adversaries
What role do you have?

5. Sibling Rivalry
Question: What are some typical things brothers & sisters have problems with or argue about?
Competition among children of the same family for their parents’ affections or for dominance is called sibling rivalry. It is extremely common, and it sometimes persists into adult life.

6. Younger children typically copy and try to excel in areas in which older children have previously succeeded.
One or both parents sometimes single out one child as the “best” and another as the “black sheep.”
Children perceive their parents’ attitudes and compete with one another for affection and approval.

7. Next to the parent-child relationship, the sibling relationship is probably the strongest.
Enjoy deep sharing
Teaching and socializing is often the role of an older brother or sister.
The older sibling is not only a teacher but caretaker and companion.

8. Alfred Adler
Suggested that birth order does not cause any direction of personality development, but it may be used by the individuals as a building brick for their freely chosen style of life and fictional final goal. Many researchers, in attempting to prove or disprove the sole effects of birth order, cite the complexity of other influences.

9. Activity
Each group will be divided among oldest, youngest, middle, and only.
Each member of the group will think of an adjective that describes each individual as a person. They will write it down and pass it to you. You will then share this with the rest of the group.
If the majority of the group agrees that characteristic fits them as well, write it on your paper.
Continue to do this until you have a list of characteristics that are common to your group.
After you have created your list, label it “oldest,” “youngest,” “middle,” or “only,” child.

10. Things to remember about birth order:
Exceptions in traits
Focus on positive traits on each birth order
Becoming aware of uniqueness
Use the information to understand ourselves and others
Do not use traits as labels or stereotypes

11. BIRTH ORDER
The order in which children are born in to a family has an influence on the development of the children.
The stages in the family life cycle are based on the age of the oldest child because everything the firstborn does in new to the parents.

13. The Oldest Child: Usually set up as an example to other children
Treated more like an adult by his/her parents
A high achiever
Given and accepts responsibility than the other children
Usually college bound
Independent
Is affectionate

14. The Middle Child: May work extra hard to get recognition
Is usually a peace-maker
Is somewhat average in school work, but is an all-around good student
Is usually a calm, even-tempered adult

15. The Youngest Child:
Gets a lot of attention, along with a lot of bossing
May be spoiled
Usually matures quickly
May be undisciplined and irresponsible
Is easy-going about school
Likes to associate with someone who takes charge of situations

16. MARRIAGE IN RELATION TO BIRTH ORDER
Oldest and youngest – the youngest is use to being taken care of and the oldest likes taking care of others.
Two youngest - will have lots of fun together, but may resent each other later because no one is taking care of each other.
Two Oldest – admire and respect each other because of the traits they possess. However later on they may have problems trying to agree on things.

17. Optional Assignment (10 points)
Directions: See if you can guess what child your teachers are! Guess first, and then ask to see if you’re correct. When you are correct, show them their description and have them sign in the space provide.