It’s funny how birth order theories have real merit. We see evidence of this in how children are parented and in the children’s personalities. Seriously, don’t the babies of the family always get away with stuff?
It is usually easy to tell if someone is an only child for more reasons than one, and firstborns come with their own set of labels that are hard to live down. I know this from personal experience. Now, there’s a new set of research that is adding to the cauldron of firstborn traits.
This one is good. Fellow firstborns: smile smugly. According to a study published in the Journal of Human Resources, the eldest child is the most intelligent of all the siblings. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and University of Sydney followed 5,000 children from pre-birth to age 14.
Assessments were performed every two years which included tests for their cognitive and reading abilities, and observations of the home environment. With the first child, parents tended to provide more mental stimulation and engaged in more activities.
The result? A higher I.Q. that can manifest as early as age 1, and higher test scores. This helps to explain earlier studies where it’s been discovered that the oldest generally does better academically and therefore earns more in adulthood.
Researchers were careful to note that parents did not change the level of emotional support given to each child. Most changes were seen in parenting styles when it came to cultivating educational, mental, or artistic activities.
Certainly many parents can relate to being a little less “perfect” for their second, third, and more born. Messes can wait, sanitizing every surface every 60 seconds isn’t a necessity, kids may stay up a little later, and there might not be as many pictures around the house of the other children.
But it is also true that parents often push the eldest child more. There can be a lot of pressure to set an example for younger siblings and high expectations can create anxiety. Those expectations can also create an overachiever who is destined for success.
So, how do the other siblings fare? They are well-loved, supported, and not doomed for failure. And scientists say that birth order does not affect one’s conflict levels with siblings, your confidence, or your overall disposition.
It does boil down to parenting style, however. Parents may not even realize that they are more relaxed with the younger sibs than they are (or were) with their firstborn. Learning to spend more time interacting with each child so that reading, music, or even trip to the museum is included can make a difference.
Maybe this means that the middle child doesn’t really have a syndrome and the youngest won’t be coddled. Maybe. For now though, firstborns can bask in the glow of their intellectual gifts. Science has your back! Just check out this video to verify it.
What do you think about this study on the oldest sibling? Which sibling are you in your family? Has this held true for you?
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