- - Youngest Children Often Develop These 7 Traits as Adults, According to a Psychologist

Adriana ChavezNovember 9, 2025 at 9:10 PM

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By now, we’ve probably all heard of the term “eldest daughter syndrome," which is especially well-known over the internet. Though not an actual syndrome, it refers to an experience many eldest daughters have described of growing up with the weight of responsibility, resulting in traits in adulthood like being a perfectionist and having people-pleasing tendencies. The concept is so ubiquitous that Taylor Swift's newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, even has a song about it. But that's not the only difficult sibling position. There are also specific challenges that youngest children face—"youngest children syndrome," if you will. While the oldest children in a family can experience problems stemming from being given too much responsibility, the youngest children can have trouble from not having been given enough, always being treated as the "baby" of the family. At the same time, being the youngest is also associated with positive traits like being creative and easygoing.Like "eldest daughter syndrome," "youngest child syndrome" isn't a real syndrome nor a psychological condition recognized in the DSM-5. It's more of a colloquial term to describe a specific group.“When factors like family size, socioeconomic status, parental education and genetics are controlled for, birth order accounts for little to no measurable difference in core personality traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness or emotional stability," Dr. Kathy Wu, PhD, a licensed psychologist and founder of Wu Psychology, explains. "The small differences that do appear often fail to replicate or hold up across cultures, family structures or over time."However, as a clinician, Dr. Wu recognizes some common patterns of behavior in the youngest children. She tells Parade about the idea behind "youngest child syndrome", the traits youngest children may develop as adults and how to combat this "syndrome."Related: People Who Were Constantly Compared to Siblings in Childhood Often Develop These 7 Traits as Adults, Psychologists Say

What Is Youngest Child Syndrome?

As mentioned, "youngest child syndrome" is similar to "eldest daughter syndrome" in that neither is a diagnosable mental health disorder or "syndrome."“However, the term functions as a cultural shorthand for the idea that being the youngest in a family often comes with a set of shared experiences and social dynamics," Dr. Wu explains. "For instance, many people in this position report having more leniency or passivity from parents, are less burdened with responsibility, or may be treated as their family’s ‘baby’ even into adulthood."However, she stresses that contemporary developmental psychology has debunked the idea that birth order is the end-all, be-all in determining personality development.

What Are the Struggles of Being the Youngest Child?

“The phenomenon functions as a kind of ‘syndrome’ for the youngest born child is the emergence of recurring challenges related to self-worth, identity and autonomy,” Dr. Wu says. If you’re the youngest child, this can manifest in the following ways:

Having difficulty asserting independence

Feeling your voice is overlooked when decisions are being made

Struggling to break free from and define yourself outside of your outgrown “baby” role

These struggles can sometimes result in patterns of dependence, attention-seeking or feeling inadequate, especially in situations where you have a lot of responsibility or are in a leadership role.Related: 9 Common Traits of Siblings Who Felt Overshadowed as Kids, Psychologists Say

7 Traits Youngest Children Often Develop as Adults, According to a Psychologist1. You feel ‘out of the loop’ with your family

According to Dr. Wu, the youngest children can feel like “stragglers” in their families, even as adults. “Especially when there are large age gaps with older siblings, youngest children can feel left out and excluded from decision-making, as they may be perceived as immature or not an equal member of the decision-making happening between parents and older siblings,” she shares.

2. You’re creative

While eldest children may have expectations placed on them to “do things a certain way,” youngest siblings may have more freedom to explore and use their imagination. Given the limited attention youngest children sometimes receive, they can develop these “more creative communication styles” to hold people’s focus, Dr. Wu shares. This means that if you’re the youngest, you may also have a strong sense of humor or be skilled in expressive arts like dance, music or drama. “Being dull isn’t an option, and things that they do tend to be more attention-grabbing,” she says.

3. You’re good at reading emotions

“Given greater exposure to the emotional life of others, youngest children tend to have the capacity to ‘read the room’ in order to connect and feel connected to others in their family,” Dr. Wu explains. Related: 4 Social Cues Emotionally Intelligent People Always Notice

4. You’re a people pleaser

Much like eldest children, youngest children can also struggle with people-pleasing tendencies. For youngest children, this can stem from being so good at reading emotions that they sacrifice their own needs for the sake of connection. Related: A Clinical Psychologist Is Begging ‘People-Pleasers’ To Start Doing This One Thing

5. You have strong social skills

Youngest children are known to be socially agile, gaining a breadth of social experiences from interactions with their parents, siblings and their siblings’ friends. As a result, they’re known to be more affable, outgoing and adaptable.

6. You struggle with your identity

However, Dr. Wu warns that some youngest children can be so adaptable that they struggle with knowing who they are or what their values are without referencing others.Related: People Who Were Raised by ‘Lawnmower Parents’ Often Develop These 6 Traits as Adults, a Psychologist Says

7. You have trouble problem-solving

“Again, due to lack of or limited involvement in major decision-making that happens in a family, youngest children learn to defer or look to older individuals in their family for direction, not getting many chances to formulate or assert their own opinions about things that might affect themselves or the family,” Dr. Wu explains. She says that youngest children can also lack confidence when it comes to problem-solving and even avoid responsibilities, since “they are used to others giving them answers to problems.” Related:9 Subtle Signs of ‘Analysis Paralysis,’ According to a Harvard University Fellow

How To Combat Youngest Child Syndrome

Acknowledging how your role in your family may affect your behavioral patterns is the first step in breaking free of them. “Naming patterns in which one is always deferring to authority, or tending to feel less confident in asserting opinions, can allow the youngest child to develop more mature or helpful ways of being, including building self-confidence, taking initiative and problem-solving skills,” Dr. Wu says. She recommends using tools like individual therapy, family therapy or “self-reflection strategies like journaling” to help recognize these patterns and “catch up to being an adult.” “Ultimately, combating youngest child syndrome means intentionally questioning and revising inherited roles and consciously choosing how to live, relate and lead differently as an adult,” she shares.Up Next:

Related: A Psychologist Is Begging You To Stop Doing This 1 Thing When Your Child or Grandchild Feels Anxious

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Dr. Kathy Wu, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and the founder of Wu Psychology.

This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Life section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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