Scientists Confirm That the Second Child Is More Unruly Than the First One, and Parents Agree

If you’ve ever noticed that the second child in a family is usually more mischievous and rebellious than the firstborn, it’s because they are. Recent studies have confirmed the myth that the second child tends to be more difficult to handle, especially if they are a boy, and that the birth order of a person influences their personality and life.

Today, we at Bright Side are going to tell you more about this discovery and share tips on how to prevent the second-born child from becoming a troublemaker.

In 2005, a group of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles led by Dr. E. Black published a study whose results were unexpected: second-born children were often less successful at school and in work than their older siblings.

The discovery was rather surprising because the children who had been analyzed came from families in which parents gave equal educational opportunities to their children. But it all became clear thanks to the study by economists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Doyle and his team discovered that second-born children were 40% more likely to have problems with the law than their older siblings, confirming their colleagues’ findings of the disadvantages of being second-born.

However, the reason had nothing to do with health problems or a lower educational level. It was all about the parents and the older sibling.

Once the second child arrives in the family, the parents have already had practice with the first one and they lower their guard a little. “The firstborn have role models who are adults. And the second, later-born children have role models who are slightly irrational 2-year-olds, you know, their older siblings,” explained Dr. Doyle in an interview.

It’s recommended to make an effort to pay more attention to the second-born children and to control the influences of their older siblings so that the second child does not become a troublemaker. Just don’t forget to allow them to be who they are.

Do you think that birth order affects one’s personality? Do your younger kids get into more trouble than your older ones? Tell us your thoughts on these findings in the comment section.