The average American family has almost 2 children. If you’re a new parent, you probably know the stereotypes saying: firstborns are perfectionists, middle ones peacemakers, and the youngest ones are spoiled. But is this true? Partially yes. However, the reality is much more nuanced. Every child is unique and will have a specific mix of different traits no matter the birth order. We’re going to look at some of the more notable youngest child traits.
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Before we do that, let’s explore how birth order impacts children’s personalities and then look at the role parenting plays in habit formation.
Table of Contents
Birth Order Theory
It’s no secret that birth order can play a role in shaping our personalities. A whole field of study is dedicated to this topic called “birth order theory.” The basic idea behind the birth order theory is that our position in the family (i.e., whether we are the oldest child, youngest child, middle child, etc.) can impact our personality and how we interact with the world around us.
Alfred Adler, born just outside Vienna in 1870, was one of the first psychologists to develop a theory about birth order and personality. According to Alder, our birth order can impact our personality in two ways:
First, our family position can affect how our parents treat us. For example, the oldest children tend to be treated more like mini-adults by their parents, and this is because they are often seen as responsible and mature. Youngest children, on the other hand, are often treated more like babies, and this is because they take less responsibility.
Second, our family position can affect how we see ourselves. For example, the oldest children often see themselves as leaders, and this is because they are used to being in charge and taking care of their younger siblings. On the other hand, the youngest children often see themselves as “the baby” of the family, and this is because they are used to being the youngest and being treated like a child.
With time progressing, a new wave of the research relied on larger data sets and more robust statistical methods than earlier reports that claimed to find a relationship between birth order and personality.
It Has Nothing to Do with the Birth Order
Phycologist Schmukle and his colleagues, in a study published in 2015, assessed birth order for about 20,000 people in the United States, Germany, and Great Britain. The team found that birth order did not alter any of the five broad personality traits. Those traits, what psychologists call the “Big Five,” were openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
But when parents talk with each other, we still find that certain personality traits tend to be more common in firstborn, middle, and youngest children.
How Parenting Impacts Habit Formation
Researchers at the universities of Birmingham and Reading studied more than 6,300 UK men and women who were raised as siblings to discover the benefits and drawbacks of being the youngest child.
According to the study, firstborn children are often held to a high standard. As more children are born, parents tend to loosen up. Youngest children, who tend to be the family’s favorite, also develop bad habits.
Since their parents allow them to get away with more, the youngest children are likelier to develop a sense of entitlement. They are also more likely to exhibit rebellious behavior and be less agreeable than their older siblings.
That’s why there’s no definitive answer to this because different characteristics can help in different situations. The oldest child is more likely to excel in a leadership position, while the youngest child is more likely to excel in a social case.
8 Youngest Child Traits You Should Know About
All the previously discussed can give you a general idea about the youngest children – but that’s not what you’re here for. You want to get more specific. So let’s get into it. Below, you can find the eight youngest child traits you should know about.
1. Risk taker
Siblings always compete to get their parents to pay more attention to them. For some children, that means being the best at everything they do. But for others, it means taking more risks.
Youngest children are more likely to take risks because they want to stand out from their siblings. They’re also more likely to get into trouble because they’re not afraid of what their parents will say.
How you interact with your family members at a young age also defines how you see the world later down the line. According to research from the University of Georgia, in corporate situations, younger siblings take 20% more risks than middle children and nearly 40% more than firstborns.
2. Attention seeker
The youngest child loves to be in the limelight. They’ve grown up being the center of attention and are used to spending a lot of time with their parents.
They love to sing, dance, and perform for the entire family. Making people laugh is also a big part of their personality. And they’re always looking for ways to get people to notice them.
But as you might’ve assumed, this youngest child traits has its negative side too. They might interrupt conversations, tell tasteless jokes, or do something else just to get people to laugh at them. And if they don’t get the attention they want, they might become sulky or withdrawn.
3. Outgoing
There’s a good reason why the youngest child is often the party kids. They’re outgoing and quite charming. Therefore, they love to socialize.
They’ve grown up around people, and they’re used to being in social situations. That’s why they’re often more comfortable in social situations than their older siblings.
Their social skills often make them affectionate, compassionate, and uncomplicated to deal with. They don’t spend much time worrying about the little things in life.
However, there is a downside to this trait. Because the youngest children are so outgoing, they can be impulsive and careless, and they might not think about the consequences of their actions before doing something.
And because they’re always looking for ways to have fun, they can sometimes get into trouble.
4. Charming
Youngest children are often charming and charismatic. They know how to put a smile on people’s faces.
Their charm often makes them popular with their peers. And because they’re so outgoing, they usually have many friends. Often, they become friends with the friends of their siblings.
When they grow up, their charm often helps them in their career. They can build strong relationships with their co-workers and usually charm their way into getting what they want.
But because the youngest children are so charming, they can sometimes be manipulative. They might use their charm to get people to do things for them or to get their way.
5. Persistent
Last-born babies have a considerable disadvantage of following other siblings. When you have a hard-working family and love standing out, you tend to work harder to get what you want.
Youngest children are often persistent, determined, and hard-working. They’re always looking for ways to improve and never satisfied with mediocrity. The youngest child will feel like their older siblings are these geniuses and set the bar high for themselves.
Their persistence often pays off in their career. They’re able to achieve their goals and always looking for ways to climb the corporate ladder.
While this trait can be good, it can also be harmful. The youngest child might always feel like they’re not good enough and might compare themselves to their siblings.
That can lead to feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. And it can make the youngest child feel like they’re not good enough.
6. Relaxed
Nearly 7 million people suffer from some Anxiety disorder. That prevents them from living everyday life, enjoying social situations, and working to the best of their abilities. You won’t have to worry about the youngest having these issues if you have multiple children.
The youngest children are often the most relaxed and laid-back of siblings. They don’t spend much time worrying about the little things in life. And they’re often able to take things in stride.
That allows them to enjoy their childhood and adolescence. And it also allows them to be successful in their career. Because they’re not worried about things that might go wrong, they’re able to focus on their work, and they’re able to be productive.
Sure, you don’t want your child to be too relaxed. But it’s an excellent trait to have, and it’s something that will serve them well in their future.
7. Funny/entertaining
The youngest child is often the family clown. They’re always cracking jokes, and they’re constantly making people laugh. This is a great trait, especially when you’re a parent. Because let’s face it, parenting can be stressful. And sometimes you need a good laugh.
Humor is also a great trait to have in the workplace. It can help you relieve tension, and it can help you build relationships with your co-workers.
But because the youngest child is always cracking jokes, they might not be taken seriously. And that can be a problem, especially when they’re trying to get a job or when they’re trying to advance in their career.
Also, let’s not forget that humor is often used to hide emotions. So, while the youngest child might seem like they’re always happy and they’re always joking around, that might not be the case, and they could be using humor to mask their true feelings.
8. Cold/calculated
Lastly, we should talk about negative youngest child traits. And one of those is being cold and calculated. Because youngest children are often charming and manipulative, they can sometimes use those traits to get what they want.
They might make a promise to their sibling that they know they can’t keep. Or they might say something hurtful to their parent to get out of trouble.
OK, being cold and calculated can be helpful in certain corporate situations. However, it’s not a trait you want your child to have because it can lead to them being manipulative and dishonest.
Challenges Youngest Children Face
You might be reading this and thinking, “this is not how my youngest child acts at all.” And that’s OK. Because all children are unique. Birth order doesn’t determine personality, and it’s just a theory.
Some children got it more challenging than others. For some children, being the family’s youngest member may leave them feeling left out, unimportant, and invisible.
According to research conducted by psychologist Kevin Leman, some last-born feel like nothing they do is essential. Their accomplishments don’t seem original because their siblings have done it before. And they feel like they’re always living in the shadow of their brothers and sisters.
Here are some tips on how to help your youngest child feel more included:
● Encourage them to join activities
One way to help your youngest child feel more included is to encourage them to join activities. This could be a sport, a club, or even just a hobby.
● Make family time a priority
Another way to help your youngest child feel more included is to prioritize family time. This means sitting down for family meals, going on family vacations, and spending time together on the weekends.
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● Give them age-appropriate responsibilities
Giving your youngest child age-appropriate responsibilities is a great way to help them feel more included. This could include setting the table, feeding the dog, or taking out the trash.
What Does This Mean for Parents?
Now that we’ve discussed some of the youngest child traits, you might wonder what this means for you as a parent.
First, let’s talk about the positives. The youngest child is often charming, outgoing, funny, and successful in their career.
So, if you have the youngest child, you should encourage them to be themselves. It would help if you encouraged them to pursue their goals. And it would help if you encouraged them to use their humor to build relationships with others.
However, you also need to be aware of the negatives. The youngest children can sometimes be manipulative and dishonest, and they might also have a hard time being taken seriously.
So, you must ensure that you’re teaching your youngest child how to be honest and respectful of others. You also need to help them find ways to be taken seriously.
About me
Hi, there. I am Lin. Together with my husband and two kids, we live in the beautiful Netherlands in Europe. I am dedicated to self-development, creating quality time for the whole family, and fully supporting kids with their potentials and possibilities with all I have learned from engineering, MBA, and 10+ years of working experience in the energy sector.
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