Is there any research that really supports the concept that an only child is smarter/more successful than kids with siblings? I’ve seen this “fact” blathered about on more than one occasion, but I tend to suspect that
a) other factors such as family income are not controlled for and
b) the studies may look at kids rather than adults
I’m more interested in how the kids do when they grow up than in what grades they get in school.
Any cites? References?
Disclaimer: I’m not an only child, and I have 8 kids of my own.
While we are at it, I would like to hear about only kids being LESS successful at marriage or any other enterprise where having learned to share matters.
I really hate this little factoid. “Only children can’t share” is complete BS. It’s children with siblings who can’t share, because the their parents force them to do it all the time, and they wind up hating it. Kids with sibling are typically jelous and deceitfull, because they’re never alowed to keep anything good for themselves. Granted, most outgrow this, but I see this in most young litter-kids.
I was an only child myself, and I was never forced to share, and I never minded (I still don’t).
Sorry for the hijack, but this sort of thing really bugs me.
I seriously doubt each successive kid (or the entire lot) gets dumber per birth. My guess is that, if there’s any validity to the notion at all, it’s more easily explained by “focus”. As the parent of an only child, she gets the full focus of our attention and education. Still, that’s the first I’ve ever heard of this idea and I think there are so many benefits to having a number of siblings that would completely offset any perceived slight in being other than an only child. JMO.
You have to love gross generalizations. The parenting guidence, peer example, and social environment are going to have a much greater impact upon the maximizing of innate intelligence, social adeptness, and willingness to share than strictly whether a child has siblings or not. Want your kids to be successful, intelligent, and charitable? Teach them these behaviors.
I doubt you’re going to find any definitive credible study on this, simply because the question is too broad in scope and there are too many unquantifiable influences for a significant population of subjects.
I need to take a look at your dictionary. I have noe idea what “people skills” mean, and I never claimed to have any.
And in case anybody else else was offended by the term “litter-kids”, It wasn’t meant as an insult. I guess I need to start breaking out the smilies. If anyone else wants to talk about only-children with me, I’ve opened a thread in MPSIMS. Over and out.