Understand the influence of birth order Learn from the shape of a family Between each birth, the family undergoes a reshaping. The experiences of a first child or an only child are very different from those of a youngest child with three siblings. Each person's position within the family affects the way he or she will think and act as an adult. This book explains how birth order afects the type of person you are, the type of spouse you choose, and the type of employer or employee you make. This updated, new edition includes: What effect your sex and the sex of your siblings has on your birth order characteristics; How understanding birth order can make you a better parent and partner.
1 WHY BIRTH ORDER MATTERS 1a. The family context 31. Circumstantial differences 42. Emotional differences 43. The external world 5b. Family identity 6c. Sibling distinctiveness 6d. Sex 7e. How siblings react to each other 8f. Ongoing effects of birth order 12g. Purpose of this book 14h. Using the information 152 HOW BIRTH ORDER AFFECTSRELATIONSHIPS 18a. Your spouse 19b. Your friends 22iiic. Your parents 231. The effect of birth order theirs and yours 242. Learning to relate to the opposite sex 26d. Your children 27e. Your adult siblings 30f. People at work 313 FINDING THE DESCRIPTION OF YOURSEX AND BIRTH ORDER POSITION 34a. Circumstances of birth 351. Order of birth 352. Sex 363. Number of years between siblings 364. Sex of the siblings 375. Birth order of the same-sex parent 38b. Being aware of birth order 394 OLDER AND WISER:OLDEST CHILDREN IN GENERAL 41a. General characteristics 42b. As a spouse 53c. As a parent 53d. As a friend 54e. At work 54f. To the parents of an oldest child 55g. To the adult oldest child 565 OLDEST SISTERS 58a. Oldest sister of sisters 581. General characteristics 582. As a spouse 623. As a parent 64iv Birth order and you4. As a friend 655. At work 676. To the parents of an oldest sister of sisters 677. To the adult oldest sister of sisters 67b. Oldest sister of brothers 681. General characteristics 682. As a spouse 703. As a parent 724. As a friend 725. At work 736. To the parents of an oldest sister of brothers 737. To the adult oldest sister of brothers 73c. Oldest sister of brother and sisters 746 OLDEST BROTHERS 76a. Oldest brother of brothers 761. General characteristics 762. As a spouse 793. As a parent 814. As a friend 825. At work 826. To the parents of an oldest brotherof brothers 837. To the adult oldest brother of brothers 84b. Oldest brother of sisters 841. General characteristics 842. As a spouse 873. As a parent 884. As a friend 885. At work 896. To the parents of an oldest brother of sisters 89Contents v7. To the adult oldest brother of sisters 89c. Oldest brother of brothers and sisters 907 OH, YOU BEAUTIFUL BABY:YOUNGEST CHILDREN IN GENERAL 92a. General characteristics 92b. As a spouse 96c. As a parent 97d. As a friend 98e. At work 99f. To the parents of a youngest child 102g. To the adult youngest child 1038 YOUNGEST SISTERS 105a. Youngest sister of sisters 1051. General characteristics 1052. As a spouse 1093. As a parent 1104. As a friend 1115. At work 1126. To the parents of a youngest sister of sisters 1127. To the adult youngest sister of sisters 113b. Youngest sister of brothers 1131. General characteristics 1132. As a spouse 1143. As a parent 1164. As a friend 1175. At work 1176. To the parents of a youngest sisterof brothers 1187. To the adult youngest sister of brothers 118vi Birth order and youc. Youngest sister of sisters and brothers 1189 YOUNGEST BROTHERS 120a. Youngest brother of brothers 1201. General characteristics 1202. As a spouse 1243. As a parent 1254. As a friend 1255. At work 1266. To the parents of a youngest brotherof brothers 1287. To the adult youngest brother of brothers 128b. Youngest brother of sisters 1281. General characteristics 1282. As a spouse 1303. As a parent 1324. As a friend 1335. At work 1336. To the parents of a youngest brotherof sisters 1347. To the adult youngest brother of sisters 134c. Youngest brother of brothers and sisters 13410 BETWIXT AND BETWEEN:MIDDLE CHILDREN 137a. General characteristics 137b. As a spouse 149c. As a parent 150d. As a friend 150e. At work 151f. To the parents of a middle child 152g. To the adult middle child 152Contents vii11 ONE OF A KIND:ONLY CHILDREN IN GENERAL 153a. General characteristics 153b. As a spouse 160c. As a parent 162d. As a friend 162e. At work 164f. To the parents of an only child 16412 THE MALE ONLY CHILD 166a. General characteristics 166b. As a spouse 168c. As a parent 170d. As a friend 170e. At work 171f. To the parents of a male only child 172g. To the adult male only child 17213 THE FEMALE ONLY CHILD 174a. General characteristics 174b. As a spouse 177c. As a parent 178d. As a friend 179e. At work 180f. To the parents of a female only child 181g. To the adult female only child 18114 TWO PEAS IN A POD: TWINS 182a. Physiology of twinship 183b. Reaction of parents 184viii Birth order and youc. The twins' birth order characteristics 187d. Personality development 188e. The closeness of twins 189f. Special challenges for twins 192g. To the parents of twins 19415 EXCEPTIONS AND VARIATIONS:FACTORS THAT ALTER THE USUALTRAITS OF BIRTH ORDER AND SEX 196a. Loss of parents in childhood 1971. Death of a parent 1992. Divorce 201b. Remarriage 202c. Death of a sibling 206d. Death of other family members 209e. Adoption 210f. Disabilities 211g. Anxiety in the family 212h. Large families 21616 PARENTING YOUR CHILDREN OFDIFFERENT BIRTH ORDERS 217a. Dealing with jealousy 218b. Discouraging competitiveness 220c. Accepting the differences among your children 221d. Don't assign roles 224e. Providing equal opportunities 227f. Don't treat them identically 228Contents ixg. Parenting out of your own birth order 230h. Divorced parents 232i. Your children are not your siblings 23317 SIBLINGS AS A PSYCHOLOGICALRESOURCE 235WORKSHEET 244APPENDIX BASIS OF RESEARCH 251BIBLIOGRAPHY 255a. Psychology 255b. Autobiographies and biographies 257x Birth
