Backstory : Birth Order - The Youngest Child

I’ve presented information about the effects of birth order on the first born and middle child. This article will cover the youngest child. Using this information can provide an author with excellent material to create realistic characters for your novels. It will provide realistic motivation, goals and conflicts, especially in contrasting relationships.

Characteristics
The youngest child presents a new situation. This child has the benefit of older siblings and parents who tend to dote on them and think it’s cute when they get away with behaviors the other children were not allowed to display. This child often receives a great amount of affection. If the child’s wishes are ignored by one family member, another will often grant the wish. Excuses will be made to cover the child’s indiscretions. He will be given help with homework and others tasks he is too lazy to complete. This child often grows up believing he has “king” status not only in the home but in the world.

Traits:
• people-oriented
• attention seeking
• manipulating
• dependent
• forgetful
• sensitive
• affectionate
• confident that they can’t go wrong
• laid back
• enjoy being babied
• fun and sometimes outrageous

Family Relationships:
• pampered
• catered to
• give more freedom
• excused for inadequacies

Results:
• Unable to follow through on commitments
• Expects others to cover his tracks
• Unable to see the seriousness in a situation
• Unable to keep deadlines or follow through
• feels disconnected
• Loving and can express affection
• skilled in negotiating
• determined

Family Dysfunction
Having been “spoiled,” when adversity strikes the individual continues to demand attention anyway he can obtain it. This individual can either being the family jokester (providing a needed and positive distraction for the family) or fall into a life of crime.

Career and Youngest Born
Because the youngest has been the focus of the family and given much affection, the individual remains with that need. He tends to be charming with a good sense of humor. He has the ability to manipulate situations and is often creative, since he was creative squirming out of responsibility. These individuals tend to select professions in the creative fields: advertising, sales, promotion, design, journalism or freelance writing and other arts fields. The abilities also leads those who are first born into administrative positions and into politics. They will often have higher incomes, greater than $100,000 per year.

Think of the interesting conflicts you can create by using birth order and dysfunctional family information.