Therapists Say This Is The ‘Biggest Myth’ About Birth Order – And You Probably Believe It

The research doesn’t back up the stereotypes, and neither do the youngest siblings sitting in therapists’ offices.

Culture & Parenting Reporter, HuffPost

Ask people to describe the youngest child in a family and you’ll likely hear some version of the same story. They’re spoiled, carefree, the favourite, the fun one – the kid who got away with everything while the older siblings paved the way for them. It’s one of the most persistent ideas in pop psychology.

But actual youngest siblings – and the therapists who work with them – say it’s also one of the most wrong.

“I think the biggest myth people push back on is the idea that youngest children have it easy,” Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. “I don’t think many youngest children find that to be true, and the research doesn’t really support that idea either.”

This stereotype of a spoiled child who has an easier life isn’t just inaccurate but also harmful, shaping how families treat their youngest members and how those kids come to see themselves as adults.

“Many clients who push back against stereotypes do it more commonly with the one that they are spoiled or the favoured one,” said licensed clinical marriage and family therapist Robin Hamilton. “They hate that, because they typically do not feel that way, even though others in the family might feel jealous and see it that way.”

Indeed, the reality is far more complicated.

“Some youngest siblings may get more freedom, have fewer responsibilities and grow up with less strict versions of their parents,” Oscarson said. “But they also might feel underestimated and have their experiences minimised.”

Youngest siblings may also feel the burden of their older siblings’ resentment, absorbing blame for a family dynamic they had no say in creating. Chloë Bean, a licensed marriage and family therapist, pointed to the notion that the youngest is the “baby” who is inherently spoiled and gets all the attention

“This backfires because they spend their lives trying to........

© HuffPost