BIRTH ORDER and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: The Lastborn

/ Gwen M. Plano

Hello, Story Empire friends, Gwen with you today. Together we’ll focus on birth order as it relates to character development. We’ve considered the traits of the firstborn, linked here. And we’ve reviewed traits of the middleborn. Here’s a link to that post. Today, our target is the lastborn.

Before we dive in, let’s review a few basic points. (1) Every family is unique, and multiple factors affect our development. Divorce, remarriage, adoption, gender, and location are just a few of those factors. (2) Importantly, if there are three or more years between siblings, the child may be a middle child but have traits similar to the firstborn.

I’ll share a family story and hopefully offer some clarity about character traits. I’m the eldest of seven, and there are nine years between me and the youngest – a brother. One day, six of us were inside the house when my little brother crawled in from the yard and sobbed that his leg was broken. My other two brothers immediately responded, “No it isn’t. Stop whining.” The youngest tearfully protested, “It is! I heard it pop.” By then, mom came into the room and checked his leg. She turned to me and said to watch the kids. “I’m taking him to the doctor. I think it might be broken.” And, sure enough, it was.

The lastborn in a large family can feel that no one listens to them. They might feel inferior, because everyone is bigger and more capable. But on the plus side, parents often have a special attachment to their youngest.

Researchers claim that lastborns have some of the following traits when they are adults:

  • Charming and more agreeable
  • Affectionate and empathetic
  • Immature and manipulative
  • Popular and attention-loving
  • Risk-taking and entertaining

My youngest brother fits all of these, except immature and manipulative. If you met him, you’d enjoy his affable nature, and you might ride with him in his 4×4 and go off-road extreme rock climbing. He’s standing next to the car below. BTW, I’ve never joined him. Firstborns don’t do such things. But our characters do. 😊

That’s it for today. I’ll close with an interesting tidbit. Lastborns dominate the entertainment world. Eddie Murphy, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Carrey, Rosie O´Donnell, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres and Charlie Chaplin to name a few. I wonder if they are risk-takers as well?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about developing a story with a lastborn, skydiving, charming character. It’s fun to think about, isn’t it? Next month, we’ll look at the only child.

Enjoy your day and take good care of yourself. See you soon!

91 thoughts on “BIRTH ORDER and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: The Lastborn”

  2. Somehow I missed this one! Glad you had a link to bring me back here 😉
    We are three girls in our family and all of us three years apart from the other. Oh, sorry, they will gladly point out it’s almost 3.5 between me and the second. Whatever 🙄😉
    The last one, Tracy, definitely got pretty much what she wanted. Of course, the two first bullet points are definitely her to a T. Charming, agreeable, good-natured. Definitely not immature but maybe manipulative. It’s harder to say now that we are all “mature” adults in our 50’s!
    This has been a wonderful series. Off to see how the only child fares under your pen!

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  11. HI Gwen, I find these write ups interesting. I am not an only child but I was a lonely child. I think I have a lot of characteristics of an only child and don’t have a closeness with my siblings that I perceive in other peoples relationships. Perhaps it’s because of the age gaps or perhaps because they are all half siblings and mom and I were on our own for a long time. None of my books, even for children, feature siblings in a meaningful way.

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    • Thank you for sharing so deeply, Robbie. You underscore the complexity of personal and fictional character development. We are unique in our circumstances and experiences. Given what you’ve explained, I suspect you’re right about having similarities to the only child. 😊

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  12. Intriguing, but birth order might not be the whole story.
    Said this before – In reality, my mother’s firstborn, immediately became my grandparents’ eighth child.
    Huge benefits of experienced parents , the generations blurred,

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    • Thank you, Esther. It’s a complicated topic for sure. These characteristics are just generalities, and if they help us craft characters, then great. 😊

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  14. It’s funny how some siblings fit the birth order characteristics and some don’t. My husband is the third of four boys and with the exception of one of them, not many of the typical characteristics fit. My oldest son doesn’t quite fit the mold, but the youngest one comes pretty close except for the immaturity (he’s an old soul) and manipulation. I need to go back and read the one I missed!

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    • There are so many factors to consider, Teri, and these traits are just generalizations. My youngest (son) is also an old soul. He’s the one in the family who makes friends with everyone. He’s not a risk-taker like my youngest brother, but he can be very entertaining. 😊

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  15. Pingback: Everyone Thinks the Beautiful Character is Where It’s At. It’s Actually the One with More Working Against Them. by Traci Kenworth – Where Genres Collide Traci Kenworth YA Author

  16. This has been such a wonderful series, Gwen. I am enjoying your posts. I am the third of four in my family. My little brother (4 years younger than me) had a fun and outgoing personality. He never was manipulative. He was the baby of the family, and my mother and sister treated him as such. I miss him so much. He left behind nine children. It’s one of his daughters who graces the Jazz Baby cover. I’m looking forward to your next post.

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    • Thank you, Beem, for sharing as you have. I’m sorry to hear about your brother. He must have had a very full life, blessed with nine children. ❤️

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  17. I had much the same story. My leg was broken, and my older brothers told me it wasn’t. My parents were out of town, and when they called to check up on everyone, they were told everyone was fine. When they got home the next day, they immediately took me to the hospital, and I got a cast.

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  20. I am a Lastborn, with a 5 yo difference between, I can confirm this is fully accurate. I’ve always been attention lover, risk taker, immature… Only recently is that I’ve been able to overcome and balance the negatives of my character. So happy to read this!

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  21. Wonderful post,
    Gwen. Understanding the birth order surely gives us insight in character development. My younger sister is 11 years younger than me. She fits the list except risk taking and part of the other traits. ☺️

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    • Thank you for sharing, Miriam. I suspect your sister has many of the traits of an only child. And if you don’t have older siblings, the ‘only’ child traits would apply to you too. It will be fun to hear if you relate to some of those characteristics (creative, skilled at problem-solving, strong academically, and loyal). 😊

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      • I have an older sister 10 years old. I felt like being raised as the oldest child, taking responsibilities in my young age. I do share the characteristics you mentioned, Gwen. I’ll make sure tofollow your upcoming posts. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  23. I’d never considered birth order when writing, but now that you’ve drawn attention to it I can see commonalities everywhere I look! It’s definitely food for thought and I’m looking forward to the last born one – both my parents were only children. ❤

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  28. This is an interesting series, Gwen. I am the first born, but our family doesn’t follow these traits based on the years between the siblings. My kids fit the mold much better with a slight tweak. However, I do see this dynamic playing out in some of my friends families.

    This is something I haven’t outwardly addressed in my works, but I believe it is necessary to set character traits.

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Thank you, Michelle. I’m just beginning to add traits to my stories. It’s a fun dimension to use. Like you, I’m beginning to see the traits in my own family and those around me. 😊

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  29. I only have one sibling, Gwen, but on my father’s side, I am the youngest of the youngest. He was the youngest of 8. In our family, the two boys were treated much the same (almost 5 years apart). But in the extended family, being the youngest grandchild was a very special (and spoiled) place to be. I’m not sure about all those characteristics, but I am more agreeable than most of my friends.

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    • Thank you for sharing, Dan. I suspect you have qualities of both the youngest and the only child (because of the spread of years between your brother and you). Next month I’ll address the only child characteristics, but here are a few traits. They tend to be creative, skilled at problem-solving, do well in academics, and are loyal. Sound familiar? 😊

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  30. It’s funny how all the celebrities you listed are comedians, Gwen. Which makes perfect sense to me after growing up with my youngest brother. He shared a lot of qualities with your brother. I have one book with a youngest sibling, and he’s definitely a dare-devil. I’m the oldest too and not likely to take big risks. This is a fascinating way to look at characters. Great post.

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  32. Another fantastic post in a wonderful series, Gwen. This all fascinates me so much. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to seeing your next post on this intriguing topic.

    Being a twin, and the family peacemaker, I straddle traits of the first and middle born. My brother, younger by four years, definitely fits the last born model, including his skill at entertaining. He’s the best mimic I’ve ever heard and had a wonderful sense of humour. Unfortunately, he suffers depression and has done for years, and much of his talent has never been used since his teens.

    There are so many variables, as you say, and that old nature versus nurture debate rumbles ever onward!

    Have a wonderful weekend 💕🙂

    Liked by 5 people

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    • Thanks so much, Harmony. It’s a fascinating concept, but you’re right about nature vs. nurture. None of us fit neatly into any box or any size. ❤️

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  34. This is so interesting, Gwen. I am a last born, and I’d say I qualify as a risk-taker for sure. I agree that lots of family dynamics come into play with each of these, but the generalities are pretty darned accurate. Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve enjoyed each of the segments and look forward to more.

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    • Thank you, Jan. I see the quality of a risk-taker in you and have always admired it. Like my brother, you tackle challenges with a sense of adventure. That’s an amazing trait – one I don’t have. 😊

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  35. Great post, Gwen! My sister is the last born and has shown several of those traits at one point or other in her life while never showing a couple of them. But as you stated, not all of these traits are necessarily in every lastborn. I do find it interesting that so many actors fall into this category. It’s great information for us when we are creating our characters and stories. Thanks for sharing it! 🙂

    Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

    Liked by 5 people

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    • Thank you, Yvette. It’s been a fun series for me because I’ve learned so much. I’ll definitely find a way to use some of the birth order traits in my next story. 😊

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  36. This series has been so interesting, Gwen. I’m a last born, and while I believe I fit the first two of your bullet points, I definitely don’t fit any of the others. Then again, there is a big gap in ages between me and my siblings, which likely factors into it. I will admit that as a last born, my parents probably spoiled me more than the others (yeah, okay, I’ll own that), and were also more protective of me. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Mae. My four kids are widely spread over the years, so they are a blend or don’t fit the characteristics. But the research is fun to play with while building characters in our stories. 😊

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  37. This is interesting, Gwen. I’m the youngest, with only one older sister. I don’t think I’m manipulative. I try to follow my heart when it comes to decisions and my actions. As for being the center of attention, I can’t stand it. I prefer to be out of the spotlight. I’m extremely uncomfortable in those situations. Perhaps this is why I don’t like promoting my books…lol! Great post!

    Liked by 8 people

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  39. Interesting, Gwen. I’m the last born in my family, with a twelve-year age difference between me and my only sibling. I’d like to think I’m charming, agreeable, affectionate, and empathetic. However, I’m not manipulative or attention-loving. (I prefer to remain out of the limelight in large gatherings. My brother is the risk taker in the family. I do have a family member that is the youngest of six siblings. She is (or was most of her life) most definitely immature and spoiled. Determined to have her way.

    This is a great series.

    Liked by 7 people

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    • Thank you, Joan. I’m glad you’re finding this series interesting. Because of the age difference between you and your sib, you might also resonate with the only child characteristics. We’ll see what next month brings. 😊

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  40. Great post, Gwen. You decribed our youngest without the manipulative part too. He is our risk taker living in another state and will travel to other countries alone. I look forward to the next post since I’m an only child 😉

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  42. I continue to be fascinated by this series. I’m the last born, but there are so many years between me and my siblings that I don’t properly fit this description. I’ve enjoyed looking at the similarities and differences based on my experiences and that of my children (who do fit the timeframe and in many ways, but not all ways, resemble these descriptions).

    I haven’t yet written characters based on these models, but I do write family-centric stories. I think I’d like to explore this in a future story. Thanks, Gwen.

    Liked by 7 people

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    • Thank you, Staci. The topic is fascinating to explore. I suspect I’ll include birth order characteristics in my writing going forward. I’ve learned a lot as I’ve written these posts. 😊

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  43. My younger child definitely fits some of the a ove characteristics. He’s charming and agreeable, and affectionate and empathetic. Definitely not manipulative, though.
    My youngest grandchild ticks the charming and attention -seeking boxes, as well as the immature one.

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