By Taprina Milburn, The Tecumseh Countywide News
WINNING Column-December 2002
According to a research fact sheet published by Ohio State University, our position in our families, our birth order, may determine our expectations in life the way we deal with people and our weaknesses.
Other research said that parents of first-borns may tend to push them toward prestigious careers, such as doctors and lawyers, but are much more relaxed with last-born children, who tend to gravitate toward careers that are more artistic or outdoor oriented.
As a mom of two children, I've become a careful observer of the personalities of first children and second children. With the help f some friends with more than one child I've compiled my very own unscientific findings on birth order.
First Born: Corn and peas cannot touch on a dinner plate.
Last Born: Will lick food off the counter.

First Born: Reserved and careful to weigh the outcome of information shared in a conversation.
Last Born: Will gather and share more information than anyone ever needs to know on a variety of topics, including what parents do or do not wear to bed at night.
First Born: Will wake up at 2 a.m. to brush her teeth if she forgot the night before.
Last Born: Mother has on occasion paid the plumber to fish out the toothbrush that has clogged the toilet.
First Born: Patent frames birth certificate labels first haircut in the scrapbook and files away finger paintings chronologically.
Last Born: Parent has to send off for copies of misplaced birth certificate, can't tell the difference between the dog's hair and the second child's hair, and the finger paintings don't have to be filed away because they were painted directly on theliving room wall.
First Born: Show-and-tell is opportunity for her to discuss the geologic properties of rocks found while on vacation.
Last Born: Will grab a Pop Tart from the pantry and tell class about its eight essential vitamins.
First Born: Parent sees her as potential answer to all the world's problems: Perhaps she will discover a cure for cancer, be a great evangelist, or help stop world hunger.
Last Born: Parents are certain God has sense of humor and has sent them their very own stand-up comedian who will one day host his own comedy show.
First Born: It's been a good day if she completed a class assignment and received an A+.
Last Born: It's been a good day if friend s laughed while he made vulgar sounds with his armpits.
First Born: Careful to use manners when being introduced to someone.
Second Born: Will stick pieces of paper napkin up his nose before he is introduced to someone.
It's my first born who pushes me to ask the important questions and dig deeper. She's the one I want in a doctor's office with me if I'm ever going over the facts before a major surgery. It's my last born who reminds me to lighten up and look for ways to laugh, the one I want with me in the recovery room, making jokes about the drafty hospital gown.