Previous studies have determined first-born children have it better when it comes to landing good paying jobs or getting opportunities. A new study has reaffirmed the eldest children as the smarter and better student than the rest of the brood.
Experts in this latest research, which has been published in the Journal of Human Resources, said the reason for this is due to intense parenting in the child's formative years. The approach benefitted first-born children long-term more than their younger siblings.
Experts assessed the development of some 5,000 children from birth to the age 14 via data supplied by the U.S. Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, according to a University of Edinburgh press release. The children were also asked to take vocabulary, comprehension and IQ tests, while parents were surveyed on their habits, routines and behavior. This took place very two years.
From this, experts were able to determine that first-born children get the most attention in the formative years compared to the other children. As such, they scored better in reading, math and comprehension tests are young as the age of 3.
Parents provided more mental and emotional stimulation to first-born children and do so very early in their life. As the family grows and as parents have to split their time and focus on more kids, however, the younger children do not get the same amount of attention as the eldest who was the only child for a certain period. Experts note that a child's performance in school also diminished based on her birth order.
Dr. Ana Nuevo-Chiquero, who is part of the study, said it's not hard to see why a parent's focus can change as the number of children increases. It is important, however, to consider the long-term impact of these changes. "These broad shifts in parental behavior appear to set their latter-born children on a lower path for cognitive development and academic achievement with lasting impact on adult outcomes," Nuevo-Chiquero said, per Telegraph.
