The First Day of Kindergarten

The first day of kindergarten can be a very frightening experience for some, but a very exciting experience for others. What causes the differences in these children? Is there anything that can be done to lessen the uneasiness of these children or are they born that way? Do children who attend day-care have the same difficulties as those who have stayed at home with a parent since birth?
Being a child that was terrified of kindergarten myself, I think that it all depends on the child's personality, birth order, as well as attachment style. A lot of research has been done on the effect of birth order on a child's personality. First born children are stereotypically more successful at school, striving to do better and constantly please others. They are also used to being the center of attention, something that changes very quickly when they begin kindergarten. Suddenly, they have been thrown into a classroom with twenty other children with only one teacher to provide attention and entertainment. Firstborn children seem to struggle much more with going to kindergarten than younger children in the family. Middle children often become discouraged and feel they do not have a place in the family and thinks that life is unfair. However, the middle child just learns to put up with things and adapts to life as it is. The youngest child often behaves like an only child and expects others to do things for them. Although birth order can sometimes be incorrect about a child's personality, often times children follow this pattern. This being said, for a family to have a first child go to kindergarten can be a very traumatizing experience. I know that when I went to kindergarten, not only did I struggle, but my mother did as well. But, when it came time for my sisters to have their first day of school, although it was special, it was not as big of a deal as it had been with me.
I believe that the first day of kindergarten mostly has to do with a child's personality and birth order, whether or not they have the ability to cope and be away from their parents for a period of time or not.