A therapist on TikTok has confirmed everything we thought we knew about older and middle child siblings - and we can't believe how accurate it is.
Tristan Collazo - who goes by the name of @risethriverepeat on TikTok - is a licensed resident in counselling and regularly posts videos on a wide range of mental health topics - from anxiety to PTSD and narcissism.
But one topic that has certainly caught the attention of social media users is Tristan's discussions about birth order - and how being the eldest child, or the middle child can impact your life.
In the first video of the topic, Tristan discusses being the eldest child. "This concept states that a person's birth order plays a major role in how an individual's personality is shaped," he explains.
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"Families place unrealistic expectations on the eldest child and because they are no longer the only child, they must adapt to change, in turn, they become perfectionists, people pleasers and authoritative, yet extremely helpful.
"They learn to bear most of the responsibility."
Meanwhile, speaking about the second child, Tristan explained the second born could be "better adjusted", adding: "The second child starts off life knowing they have to share the attention of their parents.
"Their older siblings serve as a role model but also spark a competitive fire within them. They strive to catch up and surpass their older sibling.
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"In turn, they may be more likely to be better adjusted in life, they are more competitive, peacemakers, people pleasers, rebellious and always gaining new abilities."
Now, anyone who's a middle child will know there are plenty of stereotypes about what it means to have both an older and younger sibling. But Tristan explained both the challenges and the pros of being "sandwiched between the oldest and the youngest".
"The middle child deals with significant changes early in life and may become resentful and frustrated. It's not easy to please parents as much when you're sandwiched between the oldest and the youngest," Tristan explained.
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"Middle children in smaller families appear more frustrated, while those in bigger families may be more cooperative to get their needs met.
"They can feel like life is unfair, feeling unloved and impatient, but they can also be even tempered, adaptable and able to compromise."
And of course, Tristan also spoke about what it's like to be the baby of the family - and there are pros and cons to being the youngest, too.
"The youngest child does not have the disadvantage of having to compete with a new sibling. They are considered the babies since their siblings have likely become independent," he said.
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"The youngest may receive more attention, the youngest may be outgoing and attention-seeking, feel inferior to their other siblings, hyper-dependant on others, more competitive to catch up with their siblings developmental level and may behave as if they're the only child." Interesting!
TikTok users were blown away by the videos, with many commenting on the accuracy of Tristan's analysis.
"All this applies to me," one person wrote.
While another said: "Perfectly said, I'm the oldest and have so many issues with people pleasing and perfectionism."
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This is scarily accurate!
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