EJ

EJ

Want to know more about EJ? Get their official bio, social pages and articles on iHeartRadio!Full Bio

 

STUDY: Firstborns Are Smarter (and No One Knows Why)

Shout out to all of the firstborns out there! I always knew we were smarter! 

And here's the kicker. No one knows why firstborns are smarter.

We just are. Don't fight it.

"Those born earlier perform better in school"—and if these researchers are correct, it's all because of the parents.

It turns out that mums and dads simply go easier on their later-born kids, according to data analyzed by economists V. Joseph Hotz and Juan Pantano, and as a result, first-born children tend to receive both the best parenting and the best grades.

This surprised me a little – as mum of two. Why? Well, I have always sort of felt like new parents, who don't really have a clue what they are doing – tend to be a bit all over the place when it comes to baby #1, but once a second (and third and so forth) baby comes around, they are more fine-tuned and know this parenting game inside out.

However, international surveys of birth orders and behavior show that not only do first borns around the world have higher IQs, but they also perform better in school, and are considered more accomplished by their parents.

Sorry, younger siblings!

Looking at parent evaluations of children from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979, the researchers found that mothers are much more likely to see their first children as high-achievers, and often regard their subsequent children as considerably more average in their class.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content