I try not to name the book. It could be any book on the topic, though I know of a few famous ones. I also read a lot of articles on the subject. As far as I can tell from my research, this theory is debated, criticized, and thought untrue or unimportant by some, but I realized, especially after my research, how scarily accurate it is in the context of our turtles. So, I wrote this piece about it.

I own nothing, neither the turtles nor the theory they discuss here.

Donnie had somehow gotten his hands on a book about birth-order. And it seemed to explain sooooooo much, even though none of them knew exactly which order they'd hatched in; Sensei had more or less just guessed. Technically, as Donnie himself explained, the book was about a lot more than literal birth-order.

Donnie spoke from behind the book's cover as Leonardo poured himself a cup of orange juice in the kitchen. Raph leaned against a wall listening with his usual scowl. Mikey sat at the table, elbows on its surface and chin in his hands. From his grin and watchful gaze, Leonardo assumed his youngest brother was waiting for an opportunity to make a joke. Donnie's voice went on. "The book says parental expectations factor heavily into a child's behavior. Sensei always did expect a lot from you, Leo."

Leo appreciated being spoken "to" rather than "about." Still, he felt sensations like caterpillars crawling up his shell about his "development" being contemplated on like a test subject in some experiment. Mikey spoke up with a "Yeah!"

Leo was amazed when Raph didn't immediately argue and instead asked, "What else does that book say?"

Leo turned a puzzled stare at the turtle in red and noticed he was grinning now. Leo's eyes widened. Donnie obliged Raphael without looking up. "Well it talks a lot about how competition between siblings affects the roles they fill in a family, and how which roles they fill seem to be affected by their birth order …"

Now, Raphael broke in with an argument. "But we all showed up in our family at the same time!"

Instead of snapping back, Leo watched Donnie lick a finger and then turn a lot of pages together to get to a place much later in the book. "It's theorized closeness in time to entering a family exaggerates, not negates, differences in siblings' personalities. Indeed, a long lag between siblings entering a family actually causes, or maybe just allows, them to all take on oldest or only child characteristics. They may not have to compete for adult attention as much as close siblings do because there are so many who are older than them around them to gain the attention of, or they may be catching up mentally and emotionally to the people surrounding them."

"Whoa, Donnie …" Leo grinned to himself as his brother ran on in his explanation about this newest area of interest to him. "The short version, please."

Donnie finally looked up from his book with a slight smile at Leonardo. ''The book says siblings compete for parental attention and adapt to get it. If one sibling does something really well, the others will try to do something different to gain their share of resources within the family including attention."

Raphael cut in. "That explains Mikey. He's reeeeeeeeally different."

Donnie cut back in. "We're all different from each other. And it makes sense. We all came into the family at the same time and depended on Sensei for survival. We each 'had' to form our own niche in the family."

Leo shrugged as he raised his cup of orange-juice to his mouth. "We do all have our own talents."

Raph burst in as Leo drank his juice. "What does that book say about know-it-all, annoying, leader types?"

Leo lowered his glass and glared at Raph. Without missing a beat, Donnie answered. "They're all attributes of a classic oldest child. Trying to do everything the right way to please their parent, and once they think they do something the right way, assuming that's the only way to do it, and then expecting others to follow their lead in doing it that way too."

Leo looked with wide eyes at the turtle in purple. He hadn't expected a slam from the usually gentlest member of their team and family. The turtle in blue then turned a cold stare on the smirking one in red. "What about hot-head types?"

Donnie kept looking at his book as he replied. "Usually the second eldest, especially if they're otherwise very like the first-born in looks and/or the same sex, or nearly exactly the same age, fights to differentiate themselves from the eldest as much as possible, and becomes a rebel. They realize the leader, chosen heir apparent role is already filled."

Leo realized Raph's smirk had been replaced by a blush. He gave a wide smirk himself back at Raph before raising his glass to his lips again while staring the turtle in red down. Mikey burst in. "What about the handsome, talented, entertainer, types Donnie?"

"Pretty much what you said, Mikey. Since everyone before them have already accomplished so many different things, youngest siblings realize achievement won't get them the attention they crave. So, they try to charm and convince others they're helpless to do things by themselves in order to gain it."

Mikey's eyes widened. His usual smile fell away as the other two turtles listening laughed. After they quieted down, and Mikey had crossed his arms and slouched into his sulking position, Leo raised his glass to polish off his orange juice and asked. "What about you, Donnie?"

Now it was Donnie's turned to blush and slouch as he read on. "Middles, particularly those who come after the first middle child, don't get the attention the eldest or the baby in the family does much like the second eldest. But they don't want to take the second eldest's role of rebel either, so they become peacemakers and seek attention outside the family by developing a large circle of friends."

Casey had grabbed a drink from the fridge and popped it open with his strong, beefy hands as he replied, "That explains why you're so tight with April, I guess."

Leo continued with a tone of awe, "And Honeycutt, and Leatherhead, and the professor, and April's Uncle Auggie now …"

Mikey forgot his pout and straightened in his chair. He looked his smart brother's way. "I just thought it was because you were all geniuses!"

Leo frowned then. "I always thought you acted pretty old and mature, though, Don. That might explain why you don't make much trouble, but …"

Donnie shrugged. "Well, a role reversal can happen under special circumstances like an oldest being particularly weak mentally or physically, or a younger sibling being particularly big physically or intelligent mentally. Expectations change under those circumstances, so ..."

Raph cut in, "There ya go."

Instead of arguing, Leo just nodded. Mikey tilted his head again, "So Leo's bossy and does everything great and became our leader, cause Sensei expected him to, and Raph got jealous and became his opposite because of that, and Donnie didn't want to be either of them and became smart …"

"I was always smart, Mikey. I've probably been a genius at least since we mutated."

"Right, but you weren't like Leo or Raph, but you still looked out for us with your brains."

Then Mikey grinned and flung his arms out. "And 'I' realized the only role not taken was the awesome, funny, artistic type who makes sure everyone loves him and has a great time!"

Raph cut in before taking another swig of his drink. "Exactly, you became the class clown."

Well what did you think of this piece? Think the turtles are right here?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes