Says a study by economists at the University of Edinburgh, Analysis Group, and University of Sydney. The
studies show that firstborn children have better thinking skills and higher IQ test scores than their younger brothers and sisters, even as early as age 1. This is probably a tough pill to swallow for all of you youngest or middle siblings. Although I’m the youngest in my family…I kind of get it.
Dr. Ana Nuevo-Chiquero, from Edinburgh University’s school of economics said, “Our results suggest that broad shifts in parental behavior are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes.” This means that it may be suggested that it could be the oldest kids are receiving more mental stimulation. This doesn’t mean that parents aren’t providing the same level of emotional support to their children, the firstborns were just given undivided attention with tasks that boosted thinking skills to where the younger children…not so much.
Does this mean that parents are pretty much over it by the time that younger siblings come along? That has yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure. There is a downside for eldest siblings. There is a lot more pressure for them to succeed in education and career goals later in life. So, it’s kind of a toss-up.
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