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Birth Order: Firstborns Get More of Your Time
April 5, 2009 at 7:18 AM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (34)
Photo by LIVINGWITHADHD
Parents spend about 30 minutes more daily quality time with their firstborn children than younger children in the same age bracket, according to new research from Brigham Young University.
Other studies have focused more on how birth order effects the way kids turn out. They've found that firstborns tend to have higher IQs, do better in school and on the job, and are more conscientious, while later-born kids are more likely to be rebellious, liberal and agreeable.
Only lately have I really found this to be true with my own kids. Although my goal is to treat both of my children the same, including the amount of attention I dole out, this is not the case. My son, the firstborn, is sensitive and less confident, and needs more time and reassurance, while my 4 year old daughter is fairly independent and less demanding.
Poll
Question: Do you give more attention to your firstborn child? (Tell me why you think that is in the comments.
Total Votes: 109
Do find this to be true of your own parents growing up? Why or why not?
FILED UNDER: child care, siblings
Comments:
LOL...go to my HP and read my journal entry on The Birth Order of Children!
no for the simple fact that my second child is a newborn and requires much more attention and my 5 year old goes to her dads a couple days during the week and my newborn stays home with me. When my 5yr old is home with me i do try to spend as much time as possible with her.
**Other studies have focused more on how birth order effects the way kids turn out. They've found that firstborns tend to have higher IQs, do better in school and on the job, and are more conscientious, while later-born kids are more likely to be rebellious, liberal and agreeable.**
I don't necessarily agree with the higher IQ but the others.....I have seen that similiar behavior many times with friends children...and now...I see it with my Own. ( Those differences between first born and other siblings)
I'm sure if you ask my oldest she will tell you that I spend less time with her which is true because we do NOT get along and haven't since she turned 3. She is stubborn and defiant and annoying (and she knows this and thrives on it). She's 8 1/2 but was an only child for only 15 months then her brother was born. She doesn't remember a time when she didn't have siblings and I don't remember a time where she got more attention then the other kids.
Right now my youngest gets the most attention simply because she is home all day and by herself. When my oldest was 3 she had 2 younger siblings (that were 2 and 1) so my attention was always divided.
If anything my son (the 2nd born but only boy) shows the traits of a first born more then my oldest. He is super responsible and independent. He takes care of himself and his younger sisters, likes to help and wants to do everything on his own. He's smart and reliable. My oldest may be smart (too smart for her own good most of the time) but she is unreliable, refuses to help, is lazy and acts spoiled. She acts like she is 2.
this study is a crock of crap, as a middle child i learned that being the middle one was not always so great because some times you get forgotten. but i also learned that by being the middle child that all children need attention no matter what order of birth is. in fact if any of my kids were to get the most attention it would probably be my son christian because he is in the middle.
I don't know if I believe in this theory. My boys are 18 months apart and they both demand the same amount of attention and neither one of them are ever left out and they're both thriving really well. As parents your children are going to capture your heart in different ways but it doesn't mean that you'll give more attention to 1 than the other.
this is a bunch of crap!!! My oldest is 11 and hates being with dh and I. my baby is 3 1/2 and gets WAY more attention than my girls do.
I only have one child so far, and one in the belly. I think it's obvious that my first-born got 5 YEARS of my undivided attention... but if it means once the baby is out... well, I don't know. I think it has a lot more to do with the one-on-one attention they get before their siblings are BORN - not after.
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absolutly not! I think this study is a crock-,seriously , as far as I knew the norm was most moms pay more attention to the new baby- that's why they have support groups for the much -neglected first born and even "first born syndrome" as an excuse for homecide cases because it is widely held that once a new baby is born the first born gets pushed further and further to the back burner
Angelbluewingsz Apr. 5, 2009 at 8:07 AM