Oct 29 2007
Order of Birth
Does birth order shape who we are? According to this Newsweek article, there is increasing evidence that the sequence in which we and our siblings pop out of our mothers’ womb has an impact in our lives.
In my family, the power of the order may be summarized in the following scenario which had been repeated millions of times during my childhood.
Dad: Adele, can you get me a cup of tea?
Child No. 1: Sure Dad. Chinky, Dad said that you should get him a cup of tea!
Child No. 2: Okay, Ate (Big Sister) Adele. Jun, go get Dad a cup of tea! Quickly now!
Child No. 3: Yes, Ate Chinky. Ichay, come here! Now! Get Dad a cup of tea.
Child No. 4: Okay, Koyang (Big Brother) Jun. Roland! Roland! Where are you?! Make Dad a cup of tea. Immediately!
Child No. 5: Okay, Ichay (Child No. 5 has no respect for Child No. 4 and refuses to call her Ate). Toe! Toe! Come here right now or you’ll really get it from me! Where are you? Go and make Dad a cup of tea? Look smart and do it now!
Child No. 6 (very meekly): Yes, Koyang Roland, sir. Bess, please go and get Dad a cup of tea. Thanks, sweetie.
Unfortunately, Bess is disobedient and never follows Child No. 6. Bess is also an imaginary friend as Child No. 6 fancies herself to be Nancy Drew.
Technorati tags: birth order
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Ay kawawa ka naman, you’re at the bottom of the sibling food chain. Di bale, favorite ka naman ng lolo mo di ba? BTW, hanggang ngayon inuutusan ka pa rin ba?
Wonderful illustration!
In my house the youngest is the most spoiled though. He’s even feeling threatened at being usurped by my little Mina! Haha.
poor Toe! it doesn’t work though in our household. seems like my youngest gets all the break.
Ganyan talaga kapag bunso, laging dehado. Ako ay panganay at medyo mahirap kasi ako yung palaging nakikita at napagsasabihan kahit na kasalanan ng iba kesyo “ikaw ang matanda sa lahat” or “ikaw ang me edad sa lahat”; and so on and so forth.
But somehow, this had made me stronger.
Akala ko ba kapag bunso spoiled? Hindi pala. Dadalawa lang kami, besides, babae yung kapatid kong bunso, so hindi ko maipasa ang utos…
nyahahaha we also did this when we were younger. good thing i’m not the youngest… pangalawa ako so di ako masyado nakikita hehehe
Hehehe…wawa ka naman. Actually I thought it was the bunso who does the commanding and then everyone else (including the parents) do the following? Anyway, buti na lang di ganun sa pamilya nyo…look how nice and kind you turned out.
Naku, Toe! Relate na relate ako dito. I’m also the youngest in the family and being at the bottom, I had no one to pass the errands to. At kahit may kasama kami sa bahay – siyempre busy rin siya sa ibang chores, so I had no choice but do the errands myself.
hehe that’s a nice childhood anecdote. Kawawa ka naman! We are just two but it is the bunso who gets to boss her ‘ate’ (me) around. She doesn’t even call me “Ate” never did. But I certainly don’t mind since we are as close as two peas in a pond
Snglguy, yeah, para akong damo.
Pag hindi inuutusan, dinededma… hahaha! But seriously, I’m everyone’s favorite. 
Pinayhekmi, the glory days of your youngest sibling are now over. That’s what happened to me when my nephews and nieces usurped my position… that’s why I’m always threatening to flush them down the toilet.
I’m sure your little Mina is safe though. 
Belle, yeah, I get a lot of breaks too, being the youngest. But when they can, my older siblings try to exercise their power (that’s when my Mom is not looking).
Major Tom, that’s true about the eldest siblings. You should read the Newsweek article. It says that the eldest child is usually bigger and more intelligent.
LIW, teka lang… babae din ako ah.
Carlotta, aha! So you have middle child syndrome.
That’s what I always accuse to my brothers and sisters. 
Gypsy, nice and kind is actually a better way of putting it than let’s say… push-over. Haha!
Rhodora, we bunsos really understand each other!
Pero diba… tayo favorite nilang lahat? 
Daphne, oh that’s so sweet. Good for you and your sister… you must have been inseparable as kids.
konti lang pala kayo tapos bunso ka pa?
kami pito lang pero ako gitna
yung bunso namin spoiled
hehehe, pero aminin, spoiled ka rin ng mga koyang at ate?
Hehe as the youngest in the family I had my share of that “utosan” thing. Pero spoiled din ako eh. Hehe
as others have said, it’s a little bit of both — the bunso gets ordered around but then the bunso also gets spoiled.
I should know b/c I’m the 4th of 5 and I used to tease the bunso a lot. hehe
naku, umabot naman kaya yung kape sa dad nyo??
happy halloween!!!
woof!!!
Parang Philippine version ng Royle family (popular British sitcom here) …Anthony, the youngest member of the family had to make a cuppa for everyone, while the other members of the family just watch tv all day
art immitating life he he
Sad, but probably true. However, as parents, we might have some power in making a difference so that this will not always be true.
Am the youngest pero di naman spoiled. Happy Halloween Toe:)
Ang bunso namin ang fave ng parents ko. Pero, kwela ang pamilya mo…wawa ka naman.
Tutubi, ayan talaga ang power of birth order sa Filipino family.
You were not looking at the camera, Toe. Reminds me of my sister’s family. She has 7 kids and it would take a while to get a really nice family picture because at least one of the kids will turn his/her head away from the camera.
I am the oldest of two and I did not get to boss around my little sis. She was a headstrong girl.
Now that I am a mother, I tend to watch out for my youngest one. I tend to defend him lalo na kapag sinusungitan sya ng kapatid niya (it’s usually the middle one.)
Zherwin, you got me there.
Ferdz, parehong-pareho tayo jan.
Wil, it was the 5th child who teased me most. I get back at him by saying he’s got middle child syndrome.
Bryan, kuminsan umaabot.
Pining, yeah… our family is a bit crazy… pwede ngang pang-sitcom.
Midas, hindi naman talaga ako abused child. I had ways of getting back at them.
But we all had fun. 
Happy Halloween to you too Ajay. We bunsos rock!
Leah, nakakaganti din ako… hehehe!
Niceheart, naku I could really identify with your youngest. My other siblings used to pick on me and my Mom would defend me.
Hehehe… I had poor attention span then.
Toe,
Ganyan talaga ang papel ng mga bunso. Pero pag nagsi-tandaan na ang mga kapatid mong panganay, sa iyo din aasa yan sa mga “trivia” ng pamilyan niyo. “Toe, natatandaan mo pa ba ang pangalan nuong kapitbahay natin nuon sa Kamuning na parating nakiki-alam sa buhay natin?”….Toe, Ano na nga yung paboritong ulam ni Lola nuong maliliit pa tayo?”…hehehehe
Noypetes, ganyan na ganyan din Mommy ko… who is also the youngest of six children.
Yung kapitbahay namin sa Kamuning… si Cesar Montano. Really! 
Aaah you had your Bess and my Alina had her Morphan. But Morphan, as far as I remember, always did what she was told. The story of how my bonch became a brat.
So did your Dad get himself a glass of tea?
Annamanila aaah… so Alina is my kindred spirit.
Of course I always end up getting the glass of tea, or the newspaper, or cleaning the room, etc. 
Meron ka namang slide mo e!!!
Ayy, bakit di ka nakatingin sa camera?
So ikaw yung youngest TOE ! You remember me of my Ate kasi you have the same haircut and same chinita eyes
!
ZJ, short attention span.
Sixter, hahaha… so you admit it’s mine.
Haze, oh then your sister and I must be kindred spirits.
Hahaha! It sure does. I read a chapter in Positive Discipline for Preschoolers. Mayroon talagang influence sa behavior ng bata and birth order. I see it everyday sa mga anak ko.
Mom-fka-atty, hahaha! Your children must be adorable. Diba your the youngest din? Kaya lang your brothers don’t order you around so much because you’re the only girl.