Studies Find Second-Born Children Might Be More Of A Handful
Middle children of the world will tell you how they don't get the same treatment as the other siblings. It's often worse for them.
Does birth order really affect the development and how a kid acts? Research says it does! Many parents will also say their second child is a handful.
Parents Think The Second Child Will Be Better
After parents go through the gauntlet with one kid, they believe the second one will be easier to handle.
It turns out that they often report the second child is way more of a hassle.
Study Confirms What Parents Notice
MIT researchers studied thousands of children and found a not-so-surprising revelation that some parents already knew.
One of the things they uncovered was that the second child was 20-40% more likely to get in trouble at school!
Things Get Scarier For The Second Child
It's bad enough they have a higher percentage of getting in trouble while learning, but it gets even worse.
The research also found they are more likely to end up in jail than the other kids!
Where Do The Issues Stem From??
It's all about attention. When you're the first child, your parents focus all of their efforts on you.
You have a set amount of months or years dedicated solely to you.
Time Split And Role Models
When you bring in that second kid, parents have to split the attention. In some cases, the other child might get a little more attention.
You also have to consider role models. First-born only have their parents to look up to as they grow. The next sibling has their parents and the older sibling as well.
What To Take From This
Influence and time invested seem to be two factors that matter, but that doesn't mean that's all that matters. Researcher Joseph Doyle explained, "It's just very difficult to separate those two things because they happen at the same time."
While the studies revealed interesting statistics, that doesn't mean you need to worry about having your second child. Positivity and proper parenting skills can take you a long way.
