The amplifier., December 01, 2008, Page 9, Image 9

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Birth order causes disorder— siblings
may be family, but not necessarily friends
m J ackie S teeh & S ydney H ongo
attempt to help each child
to see themselves as unique
individuals and avoid
Growing up as a second
comparisons with siblings or
or third child presents the
others.
possibility of following in the
"My parents push me
shadow of an older sibling.
to do well, knowing I can,
This can take quite the toll
but also push me harder
on some students. Watching
and give me longer talks
an older brother or
about succeeding more
sister thrive in
expectations," Curran
academics, or
X.
Stark, sophomore,
sports, can
said of
make high
following
school
in the
footsteps
of his
older
brother,
Dylan,
a
Staff Reporters
National
Merit
divorce, in which siblings
live separately, can also
influence birth order traits.
A case in point is
Alexandra Mink, junior,
best at
everything
he did,"
she said. "So, I feel like I
have to be that way
sometimes too, for
myself, but also
w h o is alm ost eight years
b ecau se I w an t to
younger than her brother
Derek, Class of 2002, who
was Symphonic Choir
president, Thespian
president and had an
approximate 3.8 GPA.
♦
"Pretty
much he
was
the
beat my brother...
It pushes me, but
probably puts a
lot of unnecessary
pressure on my
mass load I already
have. But I look up
to my brother and
love him."
While some
students want to
outdo their siblings, others
just want to follow in their
footsteps.
Hillary Obye, Class
Tyler Whitcomb, junior, with sister
Alysia, Class of 2004
Alexandra Mink, junior, with brother
Derek, Class of 2004
"Kids tend to compare
themselves to their peers and
siblings instead of finding out
who they are as a person,"
Tom Swearingen, junior and
senior counselor, said.
Where a child places in
the birth order can have an
effect on how he/she sees
themselves. According to
The Child Development
Institute, research on birth
order shows that first born
children are more likely to
go to college than younger
children in the family. They
recommend that parents
Scholar finalist from
the Class of 2008. "At any
rate, I ignore most of it
and, if anything, it
pushes me to do
worse so people
know that I'm a
different person."
If
six
years
elapse between
the first and
second child,
the second
Curran Stark, sophomore
child may take
on personality
traits of a first­
born, and the birth order
chain can start over.
According to sixwise.
com, birth order
personality within
genders can also
start the chain over.
If the first child is a
girl and the second
a boy, the boy may
take on some first­
born traits because
he is the first-born
male in the family.
Other circumstances
such as death of a
sibling, adoptions,
step-siblings,
Holly Ashby, sophomore, with
multiple births and
brother Jack, Class of 2007
Alexander Obye, sophomore
of 2008 and ASB vice-
president, set the bar high
for the Obye family. "My
pressures are just living
up to what I have to be,
and following an act that's
really good. It's tough," Alex
Obye, sophomore, said. "It
affects me a lot because I'm
stepping up on what I'm
taking this year."
"Sometimes it's hard to
live in their shadows but I've
gotten used to it. It's kind of
a part of me now so it's not
really pressure any more,"
Holly Ashby, sophomore,
said of her older sister and
brother, Alyssa, Class of
2005, and Jack, Class of 2007.
Some students feel the
pressure of their exceptional
older siblings, but find that
over time, they come into
their own.
"I felt pressure my
freshman year
but as time
goes by, the
teachers
get to
know me,
and they
don't
Sara Sebastian, senior
compare me to my sister,"
Tyler Whitcomb, junior, said.
"It was just the pressures
of getting good grades and
being a student leader. It
makes me want to be more
like my sister (Alysia, Class
of 2004, ASB president and a
straight A student.)
Some students feel no
pressure, but know that their
older siblings have set the
bar very high.
Sara Sebastian, senior, has
an older brother, Theodore
Sebastian, Class of 2004,
and sister, Rachel Sebastian,
Class of 2007, who were
both very involved in the
high school, and were May
Day queen and king their
senior years.
"It doesn't affect me very
much, because nobody can
tell you what you should do
to lead a happier life except
yourself," Sebastian said.
"If you focus on the gifts
and talents you have, and
who you are as a person,
you can be very successful,"
Swearingen said. "Value
yourself for who you are
and use your gifts to be the
best you can."
Student photos by Hannah Zaayer