FIRST-BORN children face twice as much pressure to succeed in school than their younger brothers and sisters, research suggests today.
But high parental expectations come at a cost, with many mothers saying they believe their oldest child will be the most susceptible to anxiety or depression later in life.
The survey of almost 10,000 mothers by parenting website Netmums.com asked if mothers had differing expectations for their child’s academic success, based on their birth order.
More than a third (35%) said they thought their first child would succeed most academically, compared to just 6% who said they thought it would be their middle child, and 15% who said their youngest child.
In contrast, when asked which child they thought would be the happiest in life, just 7% of mothers said their oldest child, while more than a third (35%) said their youngest child.
