The minor children more conflictive than the firstborn
Does birth order influence the behavior of children? If some time ago a study highlighted that brothers They had different attitudes, now a new work done by different organizations such as the University of Florida or the University of Aarhus emphasizes that there is a clear difference between the behavior of the firstborn and the following siblings.
In this way it is proven that the youngest children tend to be more conflictive than the firstborn and show a worse behavior. A study that highlights how education within the home can make the difference behavior between the different children at home based on the references and attitudes shown.
More problematic behaviors
This study focused its investigation on the population of Florida born between the years 1992 Y 2002 and in Florida among the 1981 Y 1990. These data were related to the number of siblings in the family and the academic results, as well as the presence of expulsions or severe punishments in the school record of these children. In this way it was intended to determine the behavior of each one of them according to the order of birth.
The results showed that indeed the children who were born in second place They showed a more conflictive behavior than the firstborn. The younger siblings were up to 20% more likely to have suffered expulsion from school and to show a greater sense of rebellion during adolescence.
A fact that the researchers clarify does not mean that a child born in second place will be more irremediably conflictive. The authors of this work explain that the results indicate that there is a greater possibility of this as a result of the education they have received. On the one hand, after the firstborn, the parents feel more relaxed and are more permissive with the pranks of the children.
On the other hand, the firstborn had a unique reference to his parents, while his little brother has him. What does this mean? That while for the oldest there was only one adult example, for the child there is an older person and a child.
Avoid bad behavior
Faced with this situation nothing better than education to avoid bad behavior in the little ones. Here are some keys to prevent showers behaviors in the smallest of the house:
- Example. Parents should be the best example for their children, in the case of the firstborn they should also show these attitudes towards their siblings in order to avoid copying bad behaviors.
- Firmness. Being a father is a mission that never ends, if you notice bad behavior the child must understand that it will not be admitted in the future and that the consequence will be a punishment. An answer that must stand firm.
- Reinforce positive behaviors. Children should understand that good behaviors are more beneficial than bad ones, for that there is nothing better than praising these behaviors when they see each other.
- Determine what may be the origin of the misbehavior. Parents should not stay at the base of these behaviors, they may have seen how their son hits his brother but these fights may take time, so to put an end to these attitudes before should be eradicated the origin of them.
Damián Montero
