I'm the oldest of seven children - all from the same set of parents who are still married! Over the years, it's been interesting to observe how each of my siblings' personalities have developed, and I've always wondered how much of their tendencies (and my won) are shaped by birth order. I certainly believe that my own position as first born has affected my outlook and habits. For example, without older siblings to look up to, I mostly look to my parents for "approval" and validation. I also take my role as older sibling pretty seriously - wanting to be a good example to the younger ones (now adults and peers, but it continues!). I also tend to be "Type A" - organized and borderline controlling. Growing up, I always felt that I got the raw deal - more responsibilities, less pampering.

As parents, it's important to understand the perspective of each child, relative to their birth order. Here's a great websitedescribing common characteristics of children in birth order:

 http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/birth_order.htm