Are you the firstborn, a middle child or youngest in your family?

Are you a high achiever, a peacemaker or the life of the party?

Your position in the family can affect your personality, behaviour and view of the world, according to the experts.

Birth order is considered by some researchers and psychologists to be one of the most powerful influences on personality, along with genetics, gender, temperament and parenting styles.

The firstborn child: The high achiever

Eldest children tend to be high achievers and leaders who may be controlling and bossy and likely to take on responsibility.

They seek approval, are usually perfectionists, and tend to have more in common with other firstborns than their own siblings.

First-borns tend to be: High achievers

High achievers Perfectionists

Perfectionists Responsible

Responsible Goal-setters

Goal-setters Determined

Determined Rule keepers

Rule keepers Detail people

The second and middle child: The peacemaker

Second and middle children are more likely to be the peacemaker of the family, are good at negotiating and are more willing to go with the flow.

They seek attention and often have more friends than the firstborn children to compensate for a lack of family attention.

Seconds and middles tend to be: Peacemakers

Peacemakers Diplomatic

Diplomatic Flexible

Flexible Free spirits

Free spirits Generous

Generous Competitive

The youngest child: The outgoing charmer

Youngest children tend to be more outgoing and charming to get attention, yet have a greater sense of independence.

They tend to have more freedom and are subsequently more likely to try new things and do what they want to do.

Youngest children tend to be: Charmers

Charmers Risk-takers

Risk-takers Outgoing

Outgoing Persistent

Persistent Ideas people

Ideas people Creative

Creative Challenge authority

"Birth order accounts for the differences between kids within families," parenting expert and author Michael Grose said.

"Most parents sometimes throw their hands up in the air wondering why their first and their second are so different.

"They may be the same gender, born two years apart, have the same educational experience yet they're as different as chalk and cheese.

"That's where birth order comes in."

Taking up family roles

Mr Grose said no two children ever take on the same role within a family.

"It's that notion of taking up roles — we all take up roles within a group, and of course the first group we're in is our family," Mr Grose said.

"So kids take up different roles and personality styles and because it happens so young — at a time when we're forming all our habits, characteristics and personality — it tends to stick."

Birth order knowledge can help parents better understand why their children behave the way they do. ( Flickr: clappstar )

Each child in the same family is also subject to different parenting.

"Parents will raise their firstborns quite differently to a later born child, that's largely due to focus and experience," Mr Grose said.

"Also when you're firstborn, for a while you're on your own; if you're the last one born of four kids you're surrounded by a group and the expectations are different as well."

Gender and age gap also play a part when it comes to birth order influences.

"When you have a gap of five to six years your family starts again," Mr Grose said.

Birth order and your parenting style

Mr Grose said your own birth order and your partner's birth order can impact how you parent.

"When two firstborns are married to each other, now that's an organised family," Mr Grose joked.

"When two youngest are married, the garbage is lucky to be put out, it's a bit more of a laidback place."

Mr Grose said birth order knowledge can help parents better understand the drivers behind their children, and why they themselves parent the way they do.

"It should be considered when looking for ways to raise happy, well adjusted children," he said.

Tips for raising children in each birth order position

Mr Grose recommended throwing birth order knowledge "into the mix" when raising your kids.

He suggested parents release the pressure on firstborns and only children. Eldest children tend to put a great deal of pressure on themselves as it is.

Help second-born and middle children feel special, give them some one-on-one time.

Save some responsibilities for the youngest child and ensure that they make their own decisions and speak for themselves.

'Bossy', organised eldest child

Evie Cuthbertson is the eldest of three and said she liked being the firstborn in her family.

"Apparently I'm bossy," she said.

"I have a tendency to take charge; I like to organise things."

It is no surprise then that Ms Cuthbertson works as a management consultant.

Middle child invisibility

Jenny Blake was one of five children and is now the mother of five, as well as two step-children.

She said as a middle child, she had to learn to "argue and fight for everything".

"I can communicate very well, and I'm a very good negotiator because I had to negotiate up and I had to negotiate down," she said.

Jenny Blake with her five children in 1992. ( Supplied: Jenny Blake )

Ms Blake said at times she felt invisible.

"There was a lot of attention given to the oldest and the youngest," she said.

"I look back and think it was really quite good, I could disappear and do my own thing without anyone noticing.

"So much so that I got left at home alone. When they packed up the car one day and went off to mass as they did every Sunday, I came out of the toilet and no-one was home."

Ms Blake, who works in communications, said she has seen the same scenario play out with her own children.

"My middle son is also very good at language and trying to decipher what needs to be said," she said.

Youngest child left with hand-me-downs

Older children usually get the new clothes, new bikes and new toys, while youngest children often receive a lot of hand-me-downs.

"I remember when I was 14 I got my first pair of new school pants," youngest child and ACT Menslink CEO Martin Fisk said.

"With an oldest brother who was 11 years older than me I was wearing 1960s pants.

"They were all moth-bally, and I used to dread the change of season."