rileyeccles

Part One

• Can Siblings Change your Personality?
• Birth Order and Brains
• Thanks Sis! How Siblings have effected your personality
• Being First Born Makes You Smarter
• How to Blame your Faults on your Siblings
• It’s All my Brother’s Fault
• The Sibling Effect
• Sibling Symmetry
• Does your Birth Order Change who you are?
• Sibling Rivalry: Why do we fight?

Part Two

Middle children are often flexible and understanding, nevertheless they are known to be quite competitive (Gross). They often feel that they don’t receive much attention from their family and they will create a close circle of friends to make up for this (Gross). They are often found in careers that involve negotiation because in these types of jobs they also receive the attention that their family didn’t give them enough of (Gross).

The last born child is typically the one getting all of the attention the middle child lacks, usually because they are outgoing, manipulative, fun-loving, self-centered, attention seeking, and uncomplicated (Voo). They are often considered to be free spirits because of the parents more relaxed attitude that is common once they’ve had multiple children (Voo). Youngest children are often quite independent because parents tend to give them more freedom (Gross). They have a lot of charm and are considered quite likeable, therefore it’s not surprising that youngest children are often found in the entertainment industry, working as actors or comedians (Gross). Youngest children truly feel secure and supported within their home because parents often make them feel special and spoil them (Gross).

 

Your paper contains a lot of interesting points, both positive and negative about living in the city vs the country. I would add more statistics to back up your information, maybe some statistics about safety? Although children in the city seem to have more independence, that independence could come with a higher risk of being kidnapped. Although you don’t want your paper to be dreary, it is something to consider. As well, it would be interesting to expand on the suburban aspect because they are like a “happy medium” between city and country. I grew up in suburb, and I can say that yes there are similar designs for houses, but there are also huge backyards with pools for kids to play in and large parks for everyone to enjoy. Also, grocery stores and cinemas can be anywhere from 2 minutes from your house to 20. The lack of schools in the country is also an interesting aspect to your paper. You show this as a positive to the country because all of your friends go to the same school but the large amount of schools in the city can also be viewed positively because then children and parents have more choice. Some high schools also focus on specific things, for example the arts or sports so if a child is really interested in that it would be a beneficial and rewarding experience for them to go there. All in all, your paper has some convincing arguments as to why neither the country nor the city are a perfect place to live, but they both have benefits.

Although I’ve uncovered possible reasons for the animosity between my brother and I, I still don’t know how to resolve it. At our age, our personalities are very ingrained and changing them would be difficult. But I think it’s worth the effort because siblings are the only ones who can commiserate with you about your childhood. A tough divorce; your siblings went through it as well. Strict parents; your sibling learned how to break the same rules as you. A death in the family; your sibling grieved as you did. And while we will make new families, that doesn’t mean that the old one should be forgotten. I know that my brother will always be involved in my life and not because he has to be, but because I want him to be. He has taught me how to fight and stand up for myself, as well as how to back down and admit defeat. “Having a brother has toughened me up; I’m strong physically and emotionally because of it”. I’ve now realized that while my sister has been beside me supporting me throughout life, my brother has been behind me, pushing me and making sure I’m strong enough to deal with what will come in the future.

Part One

1. Are siblings of the same gender more inclined to have a closer relationship?

• Does gender affect the relationship between siblings?
• Do other factors affect them such as age gap?
• Do the relationships we have when were young, effect who we are as adults?
• Are we born with our personality or is it derived from our experiences and our relationships?
• Can we change who we are?

Part Two and Three

1. Brother leaving for University
2. Sister leaving for University
3. The house atmosphere after their departure
4. Common sibling experiences that everyone with a sibling can relate too (fights, moments of togetherness, etc…)

Part Four

1. Opening:
a. I will open by contrasting the two different reactions that I had towards my brother and my sister leaving for University.
2. “Nut Graph”:
a. I am going to relate this back to gender and if it affects our relationships and how these early relationships can effect us as adults later in life.
3. Sub-argument #1:
a. That gender affects the quality of relationship between siblings.
b. I will contrast the relationship I have with my brother to the one I have with my sister and their departure for University as an anecdote.
c. Might be illuminating to talk about my interviewees response to whether or not she wishes she had a sister and how she thinks this might have changed her life.
d. I will be using research that shows that siblings of the same gender are more likely to develop relationships with more warmth and intimacy however this research also shows that the closer the same gender siblings are in age the more likely they are to be competitive with each other especially throughout adolescence.
e. This will lead into my next point that the age gap between siblings has an effect on the relationship.
4. Sub-argument #2: Same criteria as above.
5. Sub-argument #3: Same criteria as above
6. Sub-argument #4: Same criteria as above
7. (repeat for as many sub-arguments as you have)
8. Ending: Will you refer back to your beginning? How? How will you close off on
a satisfying note?

Step One

My program of study contains general social science classes that focus specifically on children and their development.

Step Two

This topic would appeal to a broad audience because it focuses on family and how your gender may affect what kind of relationship you form with them.

Step Three

Families online magazine 

Family Circle

Parents Canada

Step Four

It was only 10 am but the sun was already shinning, beating down on my face and making a trickle of sweat fall down the back of my neck. The feel of the cool, damp grass on the back of my legs was a sweet relief in contrast to the stuffy, humid air that made everyone trying to breathe feel like they had asthma. I sat under the shade of a tree, tearing grass from the ground as I watched the proceedings occurring on the driveway. Our black SUV sat in the driveway with every door open on it, including the trunk. This had two purposes to it; to air out the hot stuffy car and to have access to every possible space in the vehicle to pack my brothers bags in. The rest of the family was in a rush due to the fact that we meandered our way through breakfast. I could still taste the syrup in my mouth and the smell of french toast lingered in the air. I sighed and leaned back on my elbows to observe some more. I could feel aunts crawling over my legs but I made no move to wipe them away, basking in my calmness and relaxed demeanor. I was brought out of my musing by the sound of the car doors slamming. I pulled myself off of the ground, wipe the dirt off my butt, and walked over to join the rest of my family. I met my brothers gaze, a face that resembles my own almost identically, and wished him good luck in Florida.

Step Five 

The car murmured as my sister drove at a comfortable pace for this time of year. It was just before noon on a cold January day, and the roads were covered with a fine layer of snow we received last night. The sun was blazing, it’s rays reflecting off of the snow. I had forgotten my sunglasses and blamed my tears on the blinding light, but my sister and I both knew that wasn’t the truth. The radio was set to my favorite station, but I didn’t feel like paying any attention to it, much less sing along like I normally would. It simply played in the background, wiping out the silence that surrounded us. I stared out of my window, watching the scenery fly by, bringing us closer to our destination. Neither of us said a word, not sure how to say goodbye to each other, even if just temporarily. As she pulled into the train station and put the car into park we both say there. The silence more deafening in this moment then it had been the entire drive. We both waited for the other one to say something.

Step Six

Abstract Concepts:  love, comfort, despair

Love is like a headache because when you have one, you feel it all the time and can’t ignore it.

Comfort is like having a warm blanket wrapped around you when you’re cold because you feel it everywhere and it makes everything better.

Despair is like drowning because you know how to make everything better but there’s nothing you can do.

 

 

Step 1.

I definitely think the author adds research and information into his article seamlessly because I had to go back and actually look to find the research. While I was reading I didn’t even notice that research was being put in. Looking back, I found information from two studies, quotes from two “experts” and countless statistics about the percentage of people tipping and how much. The author doesn’t give an overload of statistics but just enough to support his argument and make you feel as if he did do research and he does have information to back up his point. The author used mainly studies done by Iowa State University and a tech research firm, two fairly reliable places to get information from. I also noticed that the author would present information and research found, and the proceed to comment on that research which I think is a better way to do it than to present a thought and support it by research.

Step 2.

Sibling relationships has become a main focus over the past few decades for both sociologists, psychologists and the everyday person, mainly because this is a topic that effects many of us. Approximately eighty percent of Americans have at least one sibling, and many more have step-siblings they’ve grown up with. Although many of us fight with our siblings, we still feel this obligation and love towards them. This is because although you feel like your siblings may cause you a lot of stress, there are many benefits to having a sibling. To start, siblings serve as a buffer for a lot of stress that can occur within a family. They can help you stand up for yourself in arguments with your parents or be your comfort if your parents split up. When it comes to family issues, they are the only ones going through the exact same thing as you are. Siblings provide good practice for learning how to solve disputes which will benefit you in your future relationships. When we get into a fight with a sibling we can’t just avoid them for the rest of our life, especially if you still live in the same house. This forces us to learn how to compromise and solve disputes, a skill that will serve you well in future romantic relationships. Many only-children aren’t used to sharing or compromising with someone else and this can have an effect on their future relationships where compromise is essential. For those of us who have an older sibling, we’re even luckier! Research has shown that children with older siblings are more likely to reach milestones, such as walking or talking, before children without. This is because as children, we look up to our older siblings and want to be just like them. If our older brother is walking, we want to walk as well! The complete opposite happens once we hit the teens, we usually want to be nothing like our older siblings because that gives our parents more to compare us on. And although your parents have probably denied it countless amount of times, research has shown that sixty-five percent of mothers and seventy percent of fathers do have a favorite child. Children are aware of this and this effects the non-favorite child’s self esteem in the long run.

“How do people make it through life without a sister?” – Sara Corpening

This is the question I often ask myself whenever my sister has my back, which is always. Who do only children talk to when their parents are being unreasonable? Or when their parents get divorced? Or when they get home from a long day at school and need someone to talk to? Friends are great for all these things. But siblings are there through it all. Somehow siblings manage to be your best friend and worst enemy all at the same time. Somehow we manage to love our siblings and hate them at once.

Part Two

“Before 1994, diabetes in children was generally caused by a genetic disorder — only about 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity-related, or Type 2, diabetes. Today, according to the National Institutes of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes in this country.”

Part Three

“I tend to sympathize with these portly fast-food patrons, though. Maybe that’s because I used to be one of them.”

Part Four

“But where, exactly, are consumers — particularly teenagers — supposed to find alternatives? Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit.”

Part Five

“Kids taking on McDonald’s this week, suing the company for making them fat. Isn’t that like middle-aged men suing Porsche for making them get speeding tickets?”

Part Six

Siblings relationships are some of the longest and most influential relationships we will be apart of throughout our lives. Whether or not your relationship with your siblings was filled with conflict can effect conflict in later romantic relationships. In a study done by Shalash, Wood, and Parker, revealed that specific types of conflict that are common in sibling relationships during childhood and adolescence are often the same types of conflict seen in future adult romantic relationships. Their study involved data from a hundred and forty four cases and each participant was given a questionnaire to fill out concerning their relationship with their closest sibling. They found that the highest correlation was found with avoid and attack conflict styles.

Part Seven

As the youngest child in my family, I have had a relationship with my siblings for my entire life. I also have a brother and a sister so I have experience with siblings of both genders. Both of my siblings have left  the house for university and their departure and my reaction to it leaves me questioning how these relationships have effected me for the rest of my adult life.

Part Eight

Imagine you’re the baby of the family. You’ve looked up to your siblings your whole life, following their lead and admiring every action they do. And suddenly, the people that you’ve looked up to your whole life, are gone. Disappeared. they left you for bigger and better things, university. You’ve never had to fend for yourself, you’ve always had someone to defend you and look out for you but now you’re left to your own devices.

Part Nine

Having a sibling move to another continent to attend university is emotionally painful. It’s like loosing an arm, something that has been part of you all your life.

Part 1

Author: Richelle Mead

Novel: The Ruby Circle

Mead writes in first person from two different points of view, she uses easy to understand language, simple words used, fairly short sentences used, uses italics to put emphasis on certain words/ideas, her characters ask themselves many questions in their thoughts.

Part 2

January nineteenth was my last first day of a new semester at Dawson College. The day didn’t get off to a great start. I take the train to and from school everyday. The train station is about a twenty minute drive from my house, sometimes more sometimes less depending on traffic. For some unknown reason, a main intersection near the train was completely congested. A section that would normally take us five minutes to get through, we sat in for fifteen. The train was due to arrive in three minutes so my mother decided to cut through the back roads at an insane speed to get me there. We get the train just in time only to see that the train is going to ten minutes late! All that rushing and stress was for nothing. Now, I had to stand outside in the cold for an extra ten minutes and try to calm down my heart rate. Once the train arrived at Central Station, I realized I only had fifteen minutes to get to school. A task that normally takes me at least twenty. I start walking at an extremely fast pace and this is where my bad luck continues. I fall going up a flight of stairs. Who falls going up stairs? And it wasn’t just a stumble either, it was a full blown fall. The worst part about it though, was that not one single person asked me if I was okay. A couple people paused, glanced at me on the floor, and then kept moving on. I dusted myself off and continued on my way to class. I arrived at the metro only to just miss it and have to wait another three minutes, three very precious minutes. Luckily from there things started to look up. I arrived to my first class before my teacher did, she happens to take the train downtown as well. All of my teachers gave off the impression that they were approachable, caring and interesting. I managed to get a seat on the train home, something that is quite an accomplishment. My mom made my favorite meal of tortellini for dinner that night and coffee cake for dessert. And I went to bed knowing I could sleep in the next day.

Part 3

The traffic on the way to the train was ridiculous and all I could focus on was the car in front of me. It had those stickers on it’s back windshield that are supposed to represent your family. You know the ones that are stick figures and always look super happy? This car had seven. Starting from the left, was the dad. He’s the tallest of the bunch, he’s wearing a suit and is holding a briefcase in his hand, the typical outfit that all men wear when they’re on their way to work. Next came the mom, slightly shorter than the dad and wearing an apron. Then came their three little children. It’s possible that these kids aren’t actually young anymore, but for the stickers to work they have to be midgets so signify that they’re the kids. The first child was a boy, and he was all dressed up in hockey equipment. The next was a girl, she was wearing a tutu and had her arms up over her head. The youngest was another boy, it’s likely that this boy also played hockey because I mean come’on, we live in Canada. But that sticker was already taken so this little boy had a soccer ball by his feat and what wearing a little soccer uniform. We can’t forget about the two final members of their family. One dog, the classic cartoon version with a slightly larger than normal head and nose and a goofy grin and a cat with a mischievous look on his face.  Being stuck in traffic for extra fifteen minutes meant that I could stare at the cartoon stickers for longer than I would have wanted. I started contemplating how happy this family actually was. Did the young boy really enjoy playing soccer or did he prefer to play hockey like his older brother? Maybe the daughter was the one who wanted to play soccer.

Part Two

When I was fourteen, my family of five dropped down to a family of four. Now before I get ahead of myself nothing horrible like a death in the family occurred. Instead it was something good that happened, amazing even. My older brother Corey was given the opportunity to study golf at a prep school in Florida. This prep school had a golf academy affiliated with it, Core Golf Academy. My brother was only sixteen at the time but he had just finished the best golf season of his life and left for the sunshine state brimming with confidence. The rest of the family had different reactions. My father, much like my brother, couldn’t contain his pride and would tell everyone within hearing distance that his son studied at Core Academy. My mother was a mess, to put it nicely. She threw herself into planning everything; his flight, packing his bags, teaching him how to do laundry… But we all knew she was trying to make up for the fact that she felt awful about letting her sixteen year old son, her only son, go off to school in another country without her. My sister was also quite upset by his departure. She once again proved to us that her and my mother share more than just their appearance by helping prepare Corey and by pretending that she was fine with him leaving. There is only a year and a few months separating my brother and sister in age and I’ve always felt that they had a special bond because of this. I, on the other hand, was elated by my brother’s departure. I relished at the idea of spending nine months of the year without him. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my brother, how could I not? But most days, I didn’t really like him. I found him arrogant and rude. I hated the way my parents favored him and let him get away with everything. Most of all, I hated how we were practically identical in personality. I hated the fact that I was just like him and that’s why we argued so much. Sure, I shed a tear when I said goodbye to him. Goodbyes’ in general are difficult, more so when it’s someone in your family. But once that flight took off, I didn’t speak to my brother until he came home for the summer.

This past fall, my family of four became a family of three. My sister, Cayleigh, left for Newcastle Upon Tyne, England to study at the University of Newcastle for six months. To understand what a huge opportunity this was for my sister you need to know a bit about her. Firstly, my sister loves to travel. She’s been to amazing places such as China, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and all over Europe. Secondly, my sister loves history. She loves reading all about the Romans and the Greeks and is currently enrolled in the Classics program at Concordia University. Thirdly, my sister is extremely independent. She has had the mind of a forty year old by the age of fourteen. I’ve always admired this quality in my sister but hated it as well. This meant that my sister has never needed me as much as I’ve needed her. And boy have I needed her throughout the first eighteen years of my life. Cayleigh has been my best friend since the day I was born. She has gone above and beyond her “sisterly duties” everyday. I’ll leave it at that because writing about all the things my sister has done for me would be an article in itself. Once again my family went through interesting reactions to her departure. My father, the ever adoring man he is, asked if that meant he could sleep in her room because her bed is supposedly the comfiest. My mother, like before with my brother, covered up her despair through planning every single detail possible. And what was my reaction you might ask? Well I freaked out. Not only was my best friend in the entire world leaving me, after I’d been with her my entire life, but she was also leaving for a country in another continent in a completely different time zone.

 

Part 1.

Personal Experiences

1. My sister left for England to study at the University of Newcastle.

2. I got laser eye surgery for a second time in three months.

3. One of my close friends admitted to having struggled with an eating disorder.

Current Events

1. The plans for the new train to the west island.

2. The amount of hateful graffiti being put up around town.

3. How Carey Price is keeping the Habs alive.

Broader Topics

1. Relationships between siblings

2. Eating disorders in children and adolescents

3. Medical malpractice that leads to complications.

Part 2.

Interesting links (focusing on relationships between siblings):

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-sibling-relationships-affect-your-life-2014-12

http://www.education.com/reference/article/influences-sibling-relationships/  (great article)

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2009/07/31/7-ways-your-siblings-may-have-shaped-you

https://psychologies.co.uk/family/the-importance-of-siblings.html

http://simplekids.net/the-sibling-relationship/

I’m really interested in this topic and there is a lot of articles and research on it available. As well, it stems from my personal experience of the difference between how I reacted and dealt with my brother leaving for university and my sister leaving for university.