This term may be used throughout the individual's life well into adulthood. It suggests that the youngest child is never fully grown, and may never carry the same level of gravitas in life as their older siblings will. Because of this and other factors, a child may learn to adopt certain adaptive characteristics.
Youngest Child Birth Order Traits
“In general, high agreeableness, extraversion (the social dimension) and openness are associated with youngest children,” Dr. Salmon says, “and sometimes low conscientiousness due to lack of responsibilities and parental indulgence over expectations.
The youngest children tend to have more freedom and are often the most independent. Parents are often more lenient with their youngest; they tend to be less cautious as they have more parenting experience. Just as with the oldest sibling, the youngest child often feels special and has a unique place in the family.
First, they never get blamed for anything because the parents often set the blame on the older sibling(s), or they say “they were only following your example.” The youngest child can also learn from the oldest sibling's mistakes and remember not to do certain things that might set their parents off.
Younger siblings may be especially vulnerable to trauma because they are in an earlier developmental stage than the rest of the family. While older siblings and parents will be much more equipped to cope with the stress, the youngest child may feel left behind or not understand how to handle their emotions.
The last-born
Last-borns are known to clown around more than their siblings to get attention and are seen as the jovial one in the family, Shields said. Birth order stereotypes also suggest that last-borns can learn to be manipulative and charming in order to get what they want.
Experts say a glass child is typically emotionally neglected; experience severe pressure to be problem-free and perfect; take on parental responsibilities within the family at a young age; and have an overwhelming need to make others happy.
Eldest daughter syndrome: the TikTok trend that every older sister is identifying with. Are you always lumbered with arranging gifts, calling elderly relatives and making dinner reservations in your family? You've probably got eldest daughter syndrome, says Maddy Mussen.
The last born child is often described as sociable, charming, loving, and open, but also as temperamental, irresponsible, and self-centered. Birth order has a significant influence on our behavior in adulthood.
While the youngest sibling is usually the funniest kid, mom and dad favor the youngest for a reason that might surprise you. According to a new study conducted by Brigham Young University's School of Family Life, the youngest sibling of the family tends to be mom and dad's favorite child because of perception.
Based on test results of students from 82 different types of families, researchers concluded that the ideal student is a boy with two younger siblings. His next sibling must be a boy, fewer than two years younger than he is. The third child must be a girl, born no fewer than three years after her older brother.
You probably noticed your preschooler's unique personality peeking out those first few months of life --reaching eagerly for a rattle or perhaps pushing away a teddy bear. But between the ages of 3 and 5, your child's personality is really going to emerge.
As a result, lastborns usually get away with more than their older siblings do, says Dr. Leman. They shoulder less responsibility, so the youngest child tends to be carefree, easygoing, fun-loving, affectionate, and sociable, and they like to make people laugh.
Oldest child syndrome refers to a number of characteristics people develop as an outcome of being the first-born. For instance, following the birth of another baby, the firstborn goes from being the “only child” of their parents to having to share their parent's love and attention with a younger sibling.
What Is a Parentified Daughter? A simple definition of a parentified daughter is when a daughter plays the role of mother for her own mother; the roles are reversed.
Eldest daughters are responsible, dutiful, thoughtful, expeditious and caring. Firstborns are more intelligent than their siblings, more proficient verbally and more motivated to perform. Yet at the same time they seriously doubt that they are good enough.
One of the main signs of golden child syndrome is the overwhelming need to please parents and/or other authority figures. "They make an extreme effort to appease their parents and satisfy all of their needs," explains Sanam Hafeez, M.D., neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind.
Good child syndrome refers to a child who aims to meet their parents' expectations the whole time and be an angel in their parent's eyes. They feel they always need to meet whatever is asked of them. They tend to work hard at keeping their parent's love and learn that bad behavior will meet their parent's disapproval.
The Scapegoat Child: The Other End of The Spectrum
Conversely, for every golden child, there is also normally a scapegoat in the mix. This is the child who gets the brunt of the blame when bad things arise in a dysfunctional family. Essentially, the scapegoat role is to be the antithesis of the golden child.
A firstborn with another firstborn, Leman writes, is likely to be a power struggle. They tend to bump heads because firstborns can be perfectionists and like having things done their own way, so it's all a matter of control. That doesn't mean you're doomed from the start, though.
Fourth born children often develop the ability to deal well with people. This is probably a result of having to deal with all of those personality types growing up. They may also be great thinkers and able to manage challenging situations. They may also become analytical, hard workers and they can be pushy or passive.
The youngest children in the family are often known for being less concerned about doing things right or achieving certain things and more concerned about having fun with their friends. Oftentimes, these children are more extroverted than others and enjoy having less responsibility within their families.