# What's Your Birth Ordinance? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089 "2008-09-18T02:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/81 "2008-09-18T23:36:28Z")
I always have trouble with this question, too. If we’re going by pure chronological order, then I’m the middle child – sandwiched between an older sister and a younger brother. Because of my sister’s autism, however, I’m effectively the oldest. Which means my brother gets “promoted” to middle child. Except on days when I’m really tired or cranky, on which he offers to be the eldest sibling for a day. Then, of course, there are the days when my sister tries to reassert her status as the oldest child … This question gets very complicated for some of us. ---
**Author:** ![Wygtya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wygtya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wygtya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/82 "2008-09-18T23:36:24Z")
I am my father’s 3rd child of 4 and my mother’s 1st of 2. I did not grow up with my half-siblings and have always thought of myself as the oldest (by 4 years). I have 1 half-brother, 1 half-sister and one brother. I am female. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/83 "2008-09-18T23:58:32Z")
boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, me I’m Cindy Brady. ---
**Author:** ![lynxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@lynxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynxie)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/84 "2008-09-19T00:12:55Z")
Eldest of four, all girls. ---
**Author:** ![quilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/839c29/32.png) [@quilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quilter)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/85 "2008-09-19T01:53:36Z")
Eldest of two daughters – by a whopping 21 months. I don’t remember life without my sister. (Oddly, she says the same thing… !) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/86 "2008-09-19T02:04:51Z")
I’m the only child of my parents; my father was my mother’s second husband. Her first husband gave her a son and then a daughter. My father adopted them after marrying my mother but before I was born, so while they are biologically my half-siblings, legally they have always been my brother and sister. Both my parents were middles out of three children; my father had brothers on either side, my mother an older sister and a younger brother. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/87 "2008-09-19T02:15:43Z")
Oldest of three daughters by three and four years respectively, no half brothers or sisters. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/88 "2008-09-19T02:25:40Z")
Only child here. We seem to be in the minority. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/89 "2008-09-19T02:28:33Z")
Oldest girl of three girls, no brothers. Same parents, who BTW just celebrated their 56th wedding anninversary not long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/90 "2008-09-19T02:41:05Z")
Youngest of three girls. At least, that’s the situation I grew up in. Technically, my favorite sister is my oldest half-sister, but we didn’t grow up together so I don’t count her in situations like this. After we were all grown, we found out the “oldest” of the family I grew up in wasn’t Dads, although Mom and Dad have their own (not at all believable) story that she is. So it’s half, half and the middle child and I share the same Mom and Dad. ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/91 "2008-09-19T02:47:53Z")
Youngest of three - same parents, etc - all of us born within three years of each other. My poor mother when we were all little - but then we had each other to play with and we were all grown up about the same time, so it worked out well in many ways. Now, _my_ kids (I have three, all the same father)- whole other story. Since it’s not relevant to the question being asked, I won’t go into detail, but just to say that one of my daughters has effectively held the position of youngest, middle and oldest in her 15 years. She’s going to be one of those who has to answer, “Well, it’s complicated…” ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/92 "2008-09-19T03:40:52Z")
Oldest of two – eight years older than my brother, same parents – and the first and only daughter of both. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/93 "2008-09-19T04:00:58Z")
Younger of 2 boys. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/94 "2008-09-19T15:33:26Z")
I’m the youngest out of 2. ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/95 "2008-09-19T15:35:37Z")
The youngest of four and the only boy ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/96 "2008-09-19T15:43:23Z")
Oldest of three girls. ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/97 "2008-09-19T18:06:10Z")
Oldest of two by a large margin. Practically an only child until I was a teenager. Only girl. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/98 "2008-09-19T18:22:01Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Is this being tallied? …working on it… (Yes, I’m avoiding my Algebra homework. Shut up.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/99 "2008-09-19T18:54:15Z")
Okay, here’s what we have so far. If I’ve made a mistake, let me know and I’ll fix it. Some of these took a little inference and guesswork, so I apologize if I screwed up your world view. I’m also typing it, so if I make a typo in your username, I apologize. **Only Children - 5** 1. Stucco 2. Tamerlane 3. Student Driver 4. Walker in Eternity 5. Jayn\_Newell **Eldest Children - 36** 1. Governor Quinn 2. Merhouse 3. Cazzle 4. Antinor01 5. elfkin477 6. Oakminster 7. pbbth 8. Inner Stickler 9. neutron star 10. RunSilent 11. Noone Special 12. VunderBob 13. auRa 14. Dead Cat 15. ParkParkhead 16. Wallenstein 17. Erin Puff 18. Yllaria 19. Eva Luna 20. Czarcasm 21. Giltathriel 22. Trouble Again 23. dangermom 24. Retro Vertigo 25. butler1850 26. torie 27. Sternvogel 28. meenie7 29. 5-HT 30. lynxie 31. quilter 32. SmartAleq 33. Baker 34. whiterabbit 35. Scribble 36. beanpod **Middle Children - 14** 1. Aesiron 2. NinetyWt 3. Kaio 4. Cincator 5. featherlou 6. RKJUgly 7. Sleeps With Butterflies 8. chela 9. ShibbOleth 10. KittenKat 11. rucciface 12. erleichola 13. autz 14. CubMistress **Youngest Children - 25** 1. Sampiro 2. silenus 3. taterbug398 4. twickster 5. Bibliocat 6. Azhure 7. Kambuckta 8. eleanorigby 9. Bayard 10. Litoris 11. Sigmagirl 12. Khadaji 13. Zebra 14. pianista 15. Kalea 16. mack 17. pravnik (I think. 7th son of 7th son, but does that mean there was no 8th kid?) 18. Clothahump 19. SpecialAgent Jem 20. jsgoddess 21. Queen Tonya 22. Salem 23. panache45 24. Queen of Town 25. akira5822 **"It’s Complicated" - 14** I included my best guess of the poster’s self identification. **Identity changed over time - 3** 1. WhyNot (Only --\> Youngest) 2. Lobot (Only --\> Eldest) 3. Rachael Rage (Only --\> Eldest) **Identify as Only - 2** 4. Anaamika 5. A shameful cracka… **Identify as Eldest - 4** 6. LurkerInNJ 7. Hey Hey Paula 8. Wygtya 9. ladybug **Identify as Middle - 1** 10. interface2x **Identify as Youngest - 3** 11. An Arky 12. Risha 13. KneadToKnow **Has no idea - 1** 14. schnuckiputzi ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089/100 "2008-09-19T19:59:39Z")
I guess I’m invisible. That’s fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-birth-ordinance/464089.md?page=6)