Super firstborns What makes us who we are? Is it the environment we grow up in? Is it the people we live with? Some experts tell us that half of our personality is geneticsour natural makeup, or the way we are born. Genderwhether youre a boy or a girlis also a consideration. Age is another factor. In families with more than one child, birth order is sometimes thought to be important. But some families have only one child. Another name for only children is onlies, though experts sometimes refer to an only child as a super firstborn. This is because an only child has many of the advantages of the firstborn child but doesnt experience the changes of a new baby arriving in the family. There is no competition from a siblinga brother or sisterso onlies have their parents full attention. Some onlies are mature and responsible because they spend a lot of time with adults. They learn to be self-entertainers and can be creative and imaginative when the adults around them are busy. On the other hand, some only children can become jealous of their parents adult friends. They can be self-centered and selfish if these friends ignore them and take too much attention away from them. They may be used to feeling important, and can appear spoiled when things dont go their way. Some onlies who arent used to sharing can be bossy around other children. What happens when there is only a birth order of one? As weve seen, birth order is just one of many factors that can influence our personalities and affect the way we are.