10 Behavorial Traits and Personality Quirks of First Born Children

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A while ago,  a scientific research study found that first born children are usually smarter than their younger siblings. As a first born child myself, that news tickled me pink being a first born myself. I am a big believer in birth order playing a role in the development and personality of a child.

Genes definitely play a role, but researchers suggest that born-leaders are a real thing – and their success is not based on their teachers or peers but on their birth order.

First-borns

Per Vaalweekblad:

First-born children are 30 per cent more likely to become leaders such as CEOs or politicians. This is according to economists at the University of Texas-Austin and at Sweden’s Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.

They found that first-borns are on average more emotionally stable, persistent, socially outgoing, willing to assume responsibility, and able to take initiative than later-borns.

Researchers say having more children means parents spend less time with each child which means the later ones generally have lower IQs. Parents also invest more time creating rules and being strict with the first child. As a result unique qualities develop that make them great leaders, such as intelligence, discipline and people management.

Well-known first-borns include Beyoncé, Emma Watson, Hillary Clinton, Richard Branson, J. K. Rowling, Kate Middleton, Oprah Winfrey and Winston Churchill.

1. They’re More Reliable – First born children are often expected to look after younger siblings and take on a greater role of responsibility than children born into the family after them, and as a result they often grow into more reliable and dependable adults.
2. They Tend to Be Higher Achievers – Almost half of all United States presidents have, to date, been first born in their families. In contrast, only four have been last born children. High achievers tend to be eldest children, who place a higher value on achievement and success than their younger siblings.
3. They’re Natural Leaders – When a child is born first, she’s generally something of an authority figure over her younger siblings. That dominance often becomes a hardwired personality trait, which leaves them more likely to find themselves in positions of leadership in the adult world.
4. They’re More Likely to be Perfectionists – Unlike younger siblings, who tend to have a more relaxed approach to life, first born children are more likely to be perfectionists, often setting almost impossibly high goals for themselves.
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5. They’re Not as Likely to Rebel – Alfred Adler, the father of the birth order psychology movement, asserted that older children often feel “dethroned” by new babies in the household and, as such, may be more likely to actively seek the approval of their parents and the other adults in their lives. In many cases, this drive to please continues throughout adulthood and they’re less likely to be rebellious as teenagers.
6. They Benefit from Teaching Younger Siblings – When firstborns teach their younger siblings new skills or information, they’re benefiting from what’s known as “the tutor effect.” That’s one of the reasons why firstborn kids tend to be higher academic achievers and to pursue intellectual careers as adults.
7. They Care More About What People Think of Them – Free-spirited people who aren’t concerned with what society as a whole or even the people closest to them think about their choices tend to be younger siblings, as firstborns generally have a very real drive to be people pleasers.
8. They Value Organization and Order – Firstborns are more likely to be list-makers, organizers and to bring order to their surroundings than their more haphazard, disorganized counterparts who are lower in birth order.
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9. They’re Self-Motivated – Because of their desire to please and determination to succeed, older kids tend to be more self-motivated than their younger siblings and to require less encouragement to work towards the goals they’ve set for themselves.
10. They’re Individuals – There are more studies on the subject of birth order than one could shake a stick at, but one thing that holds true across the board is that there’s more at play than simple birth order when it comes to determining a child’s personality. Genetics, for instance, will have some role in the habits and methods of a person’s behavior, as will environment and other important factors. Knowing a bit about the typical firstborn pattern is helpful, but be careful not to box your child in with expectations that may not hold true in her particular case.