Birth order is powerful, reports Time. Parents invest more time, energy and money in the oldest child, who tends to outshine the younger siblings in school and in the workplace.
. . a group of Norwegian researchers released a study showing that firstborns are generally smarter than any siblings who come along later, enjoying on average a three-point IQ advantage over the next eldest—probably a result of the intellectual boost that comes from mentoring younger siblings and helping them in day-to-day tasks. The second child, in turn, is a point ahead of the third.
Older siblings usually end up taller and bigger than later-born sibs.
My older sister, the firstborn of four, is smarter than me and four inches taller than me. However, we’re so close in age that I was raised as a pseudo-twin. I have some classic firstborn traits, such as diligence and bossiness, and a few lastborn traits, such as people pleasing.
If eldest sibs are the dogged achievers and youngest sibs are the gamblers and visionaries, where does this leave those in between? That it’s so hard to define what middle-borns become is largely due to the fact that it’s so hard to define who they are growing up. The youngest in the family, but only until someone else comes along, they are both teacher and student, babysitter and babysat, too young for the privileges of the firstborn but too old for the latitude given the last.
I used to complain about that when I was a kid, but the truth is I usually got to do whatever my sister did, only a year earlier. And I got away with a lot more than she did.
I was number two in the family. But, like Avis, I tried harder. That’s worked well for me.
Two older brothers, two younger sisters, the worst of all situations. Teachers reminding me of how much better my brothers did, and household chores unsuited to sissy’s delicacy [carry out the garbage, dump the drain pan under the ice box, go to the store]
Icebox? What’s that?
My mother and her sisters all lived with their parents during WW II. I was my mother’s first born, third born in the house of women. Then another cousin came along. That lasted until I was one.
Effect? I do last, first, and in-between.
My younger sister (2 year age difference) and I fit the typical profiles. I’m more confident, bossier, smarter, and better educated. She’s artistic, self-doubting, a people-pleaser (or manipulator!), a risk-taker, and less educated.
Between us we have 4 years of college–I graduated in 3.5 years, and she quit/flunked out after 1 semester!
As a small child, I disobeyed by being outright defiant, digging in my heels, and standing my ground; she was sneaky and talked her way out of situations. When she was 8, she stood on her tiptoes to appear tall enough to ride her first full-size roller coaster; after she rode it once, I decided it was safe to join her. Though she was bright (about 87th percentile on standardized tests), she didn’t put in the hard work necessary to get good grades because she felt like she could never match me (99th percentile, straight A’s all the way). I NEVER rubbed it in to her, and my parents NEVER compared us academically, but she felt inferior anyway.
As adults, I have worked as a college advisor and am currently teaching jr. high (bossing people around!) and she’s managing a tanning salon and is their top salesperson (manipulator!). She can talk people into paying $100 for a bottle of lotion that cost the company $3! I could never do that because I am more straightforward and don’t think about what flattering things to say to convince people they need things that they don’t. As a second-born, however, she honed this skill during childhood by talking me into letting her use my stuff and talking her way out of trouble with our parents.
Interesting article. While birth is not destiny [and I know of some exceptions] I agree that it is a powerful influence. As the youngest of four, I remember how high the wall was. My oldest brother had gotten straight 100s in high school and my older brother managed a 4.0, though not living up to perfection. Both were star athletes. I remember wondering how I was going to get attention. The wall was too high. I was always the youngest, smallest, least verbally adept, slowest, and worst athlete. Although I was not a bad student, I could only manage to graduate fifth in my class. It left me on the outs with mom. Oh well, God is gracious. I went on to get a Master of Divinity and became a pastor.
Before refrigerators, there were ice boxes. The ice man came daily with a 25 pound block of ice. This sat in a compartment above the food compartment. As it melted, the water drained to a pan on the floor. If the youngest boy [never a girl] neglected to empty it, water ran over the kitchen floor and innocence was shattered.
> Icebox? What’s that?
Open source software for delivering IceTV services to various PVRs of course.
There are limits to this. A last born boy with two sisters more than 10 years older could be considered a first born with three mothers.
As the oldest child, let me tell you how annoying it was to negotiate really hard for something like a later bedtime, and find my sisters (3 years and 5 years younger) getting the exact same thing within the year. Also, they got a better take from the tooth fairy, which is how I figured out she, Santa, and the Easter Bunny didn’t exist. True story.
Funnily enough, my husband and most of my friends are first-born children. We commiserate with each other for the crap we all got from our younger sibs getting better-treated. And getting the “You’re a role model” talk from the parents all the time, though you could’ve fooled me from my sisters’ behavior. Oh, and all the free babysitting I did.
Now I’m going to do it to my own daughter.
(Just kidding. At least about the “You’re a role model” talk. I don’t think the free babysitting is going to work out, either, as my girls are so close in age.)
Mrs. Davis – I must disagree, being the youngest of three, and being the only male. My sisters are older than me by 8 and 6 years, respectively.
This theory is true, to a point. My oldest sis had a great high school experience; got good grades and was tremendously involved. The middle one was…well, involved, god good grades, but her experience was saddled by her attending three high schools, we being an Army family.
Then, there’s me. I sucked in high school. Graduated in the bottom quarter of my class, and cared less.
But, lest anyone think this is some life indicator, let it be known that out of the three children, I am the one with the bachelor’s. My “middle sis” is a single mom. As for the oldest…don’t ask. Seriously.