First Born Intelligence

It looks like latest research supports something I've believed for a while based on anecdotal evidence. In generally, in families with multiple children, the first born ends up being more intelligent not because of genetics but because of the way their parents treat them.

It's hard for a fish to see the water it lives in. But, I often hear comments from relatives (okay, mainly my Mom) that I seem to be harder on my eldest son than I am on the other kids. While I often brush away these comments, sometimes, when confronted with specific examples, I see how I might expect more from him than I expect from the other kids. It is so easy to compare his performance with the other kids and demand that he meet a higher standard than the others because he's "so much older."

I think it's unfair, but at least I can now rest easy knowing that it's for his good in the long run! :-)