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The Youngest Sibling The Funniest, Scientists Say
In my experience, it definitely fits!
D.G. Sciortino
05.01.19

Science suggests that birth order can affect the characteristics a child develops or how they will end up living their lives.

Some studies tell us that the oldest sibling is the smartest sibling or that the middle child is more likely to be social and successful.

But now research tells us that the youngest sibling might be the funniest. Well, at least that’s what the baby of the family thinks.

Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

These findings come from a YouGov survey. YouGov is a website that measures things based on responses from the British public.

For this particular study, YouGov surveyed responses from first and last born children on their views about themselves.

The youngest children in the family were more likely to think that they are funny. About 46 percent of youngest children said this while only 36 percent of oldest children said this. And there’s a pretty big list of comedians who were the youngest sibling in their family which can help back this claim up including, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, and Drew Carey.

Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

There were also lots of other findings that showed the difference birth order can make when it comes to how older and younger children think about themselves.

While the oldest children reported feeling more responsibility in life, the youngest child reported feeling more freedom.

About 54 percent of the oldest children reported feeling more responsible while only 31 percent of younger children said this. About 47 percent of younger children said they were more likely to think that they are easy-going when only 42 percent of the oldest children said this.

YouGov
Source:
YouGov

Youngest children also reported feeling more favored by their parents. About 17 percent of youngest children reported this compared to 10 percent of the oldest children.

Subjects were also asked whether they felt more successful, more organized, more able to prioritize one’s life, more self-confident, and more family oriented.

The number of oldest children who agreed with these statements outweighed the number of youngest children who agreed to these statements.

Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

“To some extent age itself, rather than family dynamics, may be responsible for the differing characteristics. Older children, having had more time to get on in life, are more likely to say they are more successful than their siblings,” YouGov’s findings stated.

They also attribute parental behavior in shaping a child’s views on themselves.

Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

“But undoubtedly there are family forces at work – parental attention soon shifts onto new arrivals, and firstborns may have to learn the ropes themselves. As evidence, elder siblings are more likely to feel more organized and able to prioritize their own lives. Likewise, younger siblings are more likely to feel more favored by their parents.”

So this is an important lesson showing that a parent’s behavior can greatly impact how children feel about themselves. Hopefully, this knowledge can be used to encourage parents to build self-esteem in their children… along with humor.

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