“I don’t have to mind you!” The comment spewed from my oldest daughter, Jamie, to her older stepsister, Adrianne. Jamie had been the oldest child in our family before I remarried and refused to take direction from another sibling.
Adrianne was my husband’s first-born daughter—age 10 when we married. Jamie was my first-born daughter—age 5 when we married. Both girls held the role of “the boss” of their younger siblings (or so they thought!)
Jamie was now the middle child in her new stepfamily. And Adrianne thought SHE was the boss.
Birth order struggles are real.
When you combine two families, it’s easy to forget the effects of birth order change.
We had never considered the birth order collision that would take place between these two. We expected them to get along, but how could they when both of them were fighting for the same role?
Jamie now had a big sister and Adrianne needed help learning to relate to a younger sibling. One that resented being thrust into the middle child position.
Dr. Kevin Lehman has written an entire book on the effects of birth order in a stepfamily, titled: Living in a Stepfamily Without Getting Stepped Helping Your Children Survive the Birth Order Blender.
Here’s one important suggestion he gives:
When a child who is born into one birth order lands in another position in his blended family, do not treat the child as something he is not. He may have to take on different responsibilities or play different roles at times, but never forget who he really is.
Time helps with the adjustment of birth order changes, just like it helps with most other stepfamily adjustments. Jamie never stopped being the oldest, but she did learn to enjoy having an older sister.
In their young adult years, pictured below, Jamie and Adrianne have found love and understanding for one another that reaches beyond the tension of their early years.
Like many changes that have to be considered when families merge, the effects of birth order changes need to be considered also.
Do you have a birth order story to share from your stepfamily? I’d love to chat with you in the comments.
