Additionally, first born children are often more responsible and reliable because they are often given situations that involve responsibility earlier in life. For instance they are the convenient baby-sitter mom and dad often put in charge of watching the younger children (Forer, 145-146). Unfortunately, first borns and only children are also more closely related to feelings of anger, irritation, stress, anxiety, hostility, stubbornness, and inadequacy (Forer 31-33). When it comes to communication, first born and only children do have a strong advantage. For example, they have an inclination to develop better verbal and communication skills earlier in life than later born children (Forer 35). Moreover, they also tend to seek and ask help more often from adults most likely because they expect themselves to be taken seriously and are confident in what they say (Ernst & Angst, 108, Leman 44). Take for instance, US presidents, "fifty-two percent of United States presidents were first borns [in their families] (Leman 12). .
Next in line after first borns and only children, of course, are the middle born children. Middle borns can be a little more complicated because they may be in the middle of three, or two in the middle of four, and so on. Anyway it happens, middle borns are often considered being "born too late . . . and born too soon- (Leman, 72). Some basic characteristics that are associated with middle borns are being the peace maker, negotiator, independent, nonconformist, family outsider, and social butterfly (Leman, 11, 76). Typically, middle born children experience a hefty amount of frustration in the home. Middle borns aren't the special first born children who (for a while) had the limelight of their parents' attention, nor are they the baby of the family who receives special attention just for being "the baby."" Instead, middle borns often get lost in the middle, and to compensate, they rely on their social skills and interpersonal relationships.
