Last Updated on 2023-09-19 , 7:25 am
I’m sure most of y’all have siblings—like it or not—and being competitive with them is almost innate to us, especially if our parents compare us.
A little competitiveness doesn’t hurt but it can easily turn poisonous if we are not careful.
Being the eldest, I always felt like the first pancake on the griddle—still edible but it doesn’t look pretty enough to Instagram it.
It is a trial and error period for my parents as parenting books can only help so much.
By the time my brother and sister came, they have mastered the art of pancake making.
But with that said, I also had the most attention from my parents—you win some, you lose some.
And because of that, I might have a mental edge over my siblings.
According to a study, first-born children’s thinking skills outperform their sibling’s coz’ of the mental stimulation received from their parents in their early years.
I guess all the bedtime reading sessions did pay off.
Birth Order Effect
Economists at the University of Edinburgh, Analysis Group and the University of Sydney examined data from the U.S. Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth where nearly 5,000 children were observed from pre-birth to age 14.
This was used to study the birth order effect—whether children born earlier in a family enjoy better wages and more education in later life.
The children were assessed with various tests such as reading recognition and picture vocabulary assessments, every two
years.
The findings revealed that advantages enjoyed by the eldest sibling start very early in life, from just after birth to three years of age.
Parents Play a Part
Parents were also observed, including their pre-birth behaviours such as smoking and drinking activity during pregnancy and post-birth behaviours such as emotional support and mental stimulation.
It revealed that parents changed their behaviour when their subsequent children were born—taking part in fewer activities with them such as reading and playing musical instruments
They also took higher risks during the pregnancy of later-born children, such as increased smoking.
In a way, it does make sense. If you have done something the first time, you would probably pay less attention to it the second time.
Ever noticed sometimes parents won’t be super persistent if the younger one is not married, especially if the eldest is married with children?
But I can’t help but wonder.
What about twins though?
Featured Image: TinnaPong / Shutterstock.com
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