Sibling rivalry is always based on who is the best child, but finally science has come up with the answer and — sorry young’uns — it turns out older siblings are just all-round better people.
#1. Elder siblings are more focused on family loyalty, traditional achievement and learn responsibility early on in life.
According to Jeffrey Kluger, author of The Sibling Effect, older children follow their parents lead much more than younger siblings and, from caring for their kid brothers and sisters, understand responsibility from a young age.
#2. The eldest kid follows the rules, while younger siblings tend to be more rebellious.
Belgian psychologists in a 2003 study concluded that, “Firstborns tend to be responsible, competitive and conventional, whereas laterborns have to ‘distinguish’ themselves and create a specific niche by being playful, cooperative and, especially, rebellious.” So there.
#3. First-borns are natural leaders and, as such, more successful professionally.
Remember all those times your older sibling babysat you? Well, that’s developed their natural leadership skills and made them more likely to succeed in the workplace and be more ambitious, according to one study.
#4. The eldest child is statistically more clever than their siblings.
A 2007 Norwegian study showed that elder children have an IQ on average 2.3 points ahead of their brothers and sisters. It’s thought that this is because they may “teach” the younger kids, helping them to retain information.
#5. And finally, older kids are just a bit nicer all round.
A 2015 study found that kids born first were “more conscientious, more agreeable and less neurotic” than the crazy kids who followed after. So really, you first-borns out there are actually just big softies.
Anyway, we think that all the differences between siblings actually make for the perfect trouble-making team.
