Blog 10: CAT Practice 3

                It has been said how the order of your birth reflects on your life adjustment. Whether it may be you’re an only child, the oldest or the youngest, there’s certain attitudes one must portray in the family. According with the passage “How your birth order influences your life adjustment” by Lucille Forer, I agree when she states “an important part of his identity is his family position”.

                When you’re the oldest, the parents usually expect the child to be more capable and more responsible. The oldest grows up in the sense that he/or she must play a this role for the youngest siblings. Opposed to the middle child, may think of itself to be able to do things belter because of the capability it has above his siblings. But yet sometimes, they will run to an older sibling or parents for help. So they know there able to obtain for help when needed. And as the youngest, well they know they can be always taking care of. In the opposite side, an only child must always think that even though the parents may not always be around, they must be more independent. They must learn things without the assistance of others.

                An example would be from the book “the color of water” in the story talks about how the oldest sibling growing up in a black/white family, had to be a father figure to its siblings. After he’s father dying, he had to take the responsibility in taking care of the family. Him wanting to have a normal childhood, he had to assist his mother when not present to do father figure activities. He was seen as a role model even though he didn’t want to take a responsibility so huge. But because he was the oldest, that choice was never given.

                Another example was from the movie “beastly”. This young man was an only child. Instead of growing up with responsibilities, he had it all. Young rich but yet cruelled at heart due to his father never truly paying attention to him. Because he had a cruel heart, a curse was put on him. He had one year to find love. Once he was able to find love, the curse was lifted and he changed for the better image for himself.

                One last example would be a personal one of myself. I am the oldest here in the U.S. I grew up to mature for my age. I missed out a lot in my childhood by taking care of my little sibling. At the time when my parents didn’t see eye to eye, I had to give a mother figure role. My mother told me to do everything and always counted on me to take for my sibling. There was no room for mistakes. Independent I was because I was the oldest. I grew up thinking my identity was to be a mother figure and not a child growing up into an adult.

                The order you are in a family places the child a specific task that needs to be played. It makes a child to develop certain attitudes/ behaviors towards people and most of all to itself.