How to Survive as the Oldest Child in a Family

Studying birth order provides an interesting way to look at why you and others act the way you do. People who research birth order find that birth position reveals certain tendencies about personalities. Older children start out as the center of the universe before the usurpers known as siblings knock them out of the way. First-borns can survive in the family by following these steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Relax a little. Being perfect or even right all the time is not all it's cracked up to be. Enjoy life a little more by letting go of the minor stuff. Survive with your sense of humor.

2. Ignore the fact that Mom and Dad give first-born children all this responsibility. You also get to be the first in everything: the first to stay up late, the first to drive and the first to leave home. And no matter what, you always occupy a special place in your parent's hearts.

3. Realize that little siblings think you're awesome. As they grow older, they look up to you more than anyone. Parents quit being cool by the time pre-adolescence hits, but older sibs are cool forever. Oh, the power first-borns have!

4. Stretch your patience when siblings get on your nerves. They mainly bug you because they want your attention.

5. Close your bedroom door once in awhile to survive the craziness. When life as the first-born child becomes too much, take a break from family to recharge.

6. Rejoice that you are the one who is more likely to go to college. This translates to a greater chance of success in life. The qualities of first-borns include brain power and leadership skills, which explains why more than half of all presidents have been first-borns.

7. Remember that other factors beside birth order also contribute to how we turn out. Make the most out of opportunities in your universe to survive your birth position.

Tips & Warnings

• Other things that influence birth order tendencies include gender, disability and spacing between children.