Parenthood: Psychology and Birth Order Essay

Every family system is unique and unmatchable of the major contrisolelying factors that delimitate that is birth order. There assimilate been studies that have been conducted that suggest that your identity, character and personality can be swayed by the order you were born. In the 1989 motion-picture show P atomic number 18nthood, the complexity, culture, gender issues and eternal changing of family is examined. This essay will take a deeper look at two family systems from Parenthood and determine their typical and untypical birth order behaviors. Gil and Karen Buckman have raised their three kids in such a way that they whole exhibit typical birth order behavior.Kevin is the oldest and strives for perfection through academics and athletics this is one of the main characteristics of being a first born. In school Kevins teacher informs Mr. and Mrs. Buckman that Kevin has emotional problems and too many worries for his age and suggests that a Special Ed program. The Buckmans do not feel the need to put him into special classes, and will have him start seeing a therapist this is because they feel he is a direct reflection on them. Kevin also plays baseball, and during the games demonstrates fear of failing.Parents often look at the first born as a second elicit and this can be related back to Kevin when he says, I have to do everything At the end of the film Kevin also tells his father that he wants to be just alike him when he grows up this is no surprise because Gil (also a first born) is a business executive and first borns like law, order and decided boundaries. Typical first borns have high expectations for themselves (Kevin shows this in baseball, evermore beating himself up) and strive to live up to their parents expectations.Taylor is the middle chela of Gil and Karen and is not shown in the movie as much as her two brothers. Middle children tend to crave attention and there in a scene in the movie where Taylor gets in trouble at school for kiss ing too many boys, and by doing this she will get attention from her parents. Middle children also are called the forgotten child and in the film it seemed like the director intentionally put more emphasis Kevin and Justin rather then Taylor. At the beginning of the film Justin was the youngest child of Gil and Karen, and functioned like a typical baby.At Kevins birthday party and other family events, Justin was eer doing funny tricks and creating laughter among the guests. At the end of the movie, Gil and Karen had just had another baby, so as the viewer we do not know what role Justin will develop into. Gil and Karen have a typical birth order family and that could be delinquent to a number of contributing factors. Gils family growing up could be characterized as a typical birth order family, so when he was breeding his kids he could have used the same parenting techniques his parents did.The kids roles could also be determined by the number of years that is between all of them , there are always exceptions to the system. Helen Buckman and her ex-husband Ed raised their two kids in a way that they exhibit untypical birth order behavior. Julie is a first born, like Kevin, but tends to act more like a middle child with her rebellious, free spirited behavior. Whether it is shaving her head, running away or getting married she is always trying to get attention out of her mom somehow. Julie does not embody the typical first born mentality, she is not goal orientated, a high succeeder or afraid of failure.Gary is the baby but is missing one of the key personality traits, entertainment. Gary can be seen as a typical baby because he is rebellious, temperamental, and ambivalent. His rebellion can be seen when he locks his room and doesnt let his mom know what is in his paper bag, this is probably because he is having emotional problems overdue to his parents divorce and does not know how to handle it. He is temperamental and ambivalent because he does what he wan ts, when he wants to and doesnt seem to care.Helen, Julie, and Garys family dynamic could be untypical because of the recent divorce their family went through. The person watching the movie does not know what the family was like before this event, but the kids attitudes could have potentially changed. Families are all different, and that is what makes them all different. Since this year I never even knew such studies existed. Learning about birth order studies has made me think about my own family, and whether we are typical or untypical, but I know that there are always exceptions.