Table of contents:
- The eldest son is smarter than his younger siblings because of differences in parenting styles
- The first child is smarter and more creative because he is required to be able to educate his younger siblings
- But not all first children will be smarter than their younger siblings
As the first child, you may be smiling yourself seeing the title above. But for those who were born as younger siblings - or even youngest children - you may insist on rejecting this statement. In fact, this has a point, you know! According to a study in England, firstborn children are indeed smarter than other siblings. Wow, why, huh?
The eldest son is smarter than his younger siblings because of differences in parenting styles
A research team from the University of Edinburgh in the UK concluded that the first child in a family has a score Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is higher than his younger siblings. But this intelligence is not because they drained all the quality genes from their parents, but rather as a result of the abundance of attention and emotional support they received relentlessly from both parents during growth and development - something their younger siblings did not necessarily experience as well. .
But that doesn't mean parents are indifferent in educating other children, you know! Regardless of birth order, each child can (and is entitled) to receive an equal portion of emotional support from both parents, but this finding makes sense in some aspects since, firstborn children do receive more benefits from spending more quality time with both. parents without the slightest divided attention.
With one child, parents have more time available to support the mental development of their (still) child only to equip them with the maturity of their way of thinking and solving problems, compared to when the house is filled with two or more children.
Understanding and aligning yourself with a child's mental well-being early on helps his brain develop more maturely because the nerves in the brain are built through social and language connections, says Daniel J. Siegel, MD, director of the Center for Human Development at UCLA School of Medicine. This is because a child's interest in starting learning at an early age is often motivated by close relationships. Children become interested in learning because they appreciate the learning process with people who care.
The first child is smarter and more creative because he is required to be able to educate his younger siblings
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh reported that, based on previous explanations, older siblings were more likely to have higher IQ scores than younger siblings. First children also reportedly tended to have a richer vocabulary. Meanwhile, the second child and so on tended to be less creative and did not really like literature or literature and music, said the researcher, which was caused by the imbalance of time and attention paid by the parents. This is what might affect the potential intelligence of each child.
On the other hand, according to another joint German study from the University of Mainz and Leipzig University, the intelligence of first children tends to develop faster because they can (and are often required to) teach their younger siblings about the world around them. To be able to teach others, a person is required to have a higher cognitive understanding - the first child needs to explore the knowledge they have previously obtained and process it, which can then be explained to their younger siblings in a way that is easy to understand. This, according to researchers, could be a strong boost to the potential for intelligence in first children.
But not all first children will be smarter than their younger siblings
The first child should be proud to hear the good news above, but this doesn't make you high-hearted. The reason is, the researchers emphasize that their findings are only big picture and may not be the same for every different family situation. In fact, other studies have shown that the correlation between first-born children and high intelligence is overstated. For example, a 2015 study looking at the personalities and intelligence of 377,000 high school students found stark differences.
For example, although firstborn children tended to show higher IQ scores than their younger siblings, the average difference was only about one point. The same is true with personality differences. The study found that although older children tended to be more extroverted, playful, conscientious, and more mature than their younger siblings, this difference was very small. Personality characteristics, emotional stability, kindness, emotional awareness, and imagination are not affected by the child's birth order.
Apart from genetics and affection, there are several guaranteed ways to develop a child's intelligence - no matter first, second, third, or so on. By fulfilling good nutrition for pregnant women as well as nutrition for children during their growth and development, protection from toxins and pollutants, and a balance between learning and playing activities and sports, every parent can have smart children.
