Younger siblings may be especially vulnerable to trauma because they are in an earlier developmental stage than the rest of the family. While older siblings and parents will be much more equipped to cope with the stress, the youngest child may feel left behind or not understand how to handle their emotions.
But let me tell you: Being the youngest is the hardest part out of all the children, and not just for the reasons you think, either. Being the youngest means that you become your parent's last hope, their final attempt at perfection.
“In general, high agreeableness, extraversion (the social dimension) and openness are associated with youngest children,” Dr. Salmon says, “and sometimes low conscientiousness due to lack of responsibilities and parental indulgence over expectations.
Parents have only so much energy and attention that they can give to their children. By the time the youngest child arrives, parents may be running low on both. Thus, the youngest may have to work harder to get the attention they crave from their parents and their older siblings.
These findings may seem surprising if you've never had an 8-year-old, but there are some reasons a child's eighth year can be especially challenging from a parent's perspective. Eight-year-olds can be stubborn, slamming doors and rolling their eyes, in their attempts to establish their independence and individuality.
The years between eight and thirteen can leave you feeling like a parenting beginner all over again. They bring backchat, rudeness, defiance, highly emotive responses (SO many big emotions!), selfishness, “I hate yous”, sulking and door slamming.
While the youngest sibling is usually the funniest kid, mom and dad favor the youngest for a reason that might surprise you. According to a new study conducted by Brigham Young University's School of Family Life, the youngest sibling of the family tends to be mom and dad's favorite child because of perception.
Based on test results of students from 82 different types of families, researchers concluded that the ideal student is a boy with two younger siblings. His next sibling must be a boy, fewer than two years younger than he is. The third child must be a girl, born no fewer than three years after her older brother.
First-born kids tend to be leaders, like CEOS and founders, and are more likely to achieve traditional success. Middle-born children often embody a mix of the traits of older and younger siblings, and they're very relationship-focused.
Because youngest children often feel left out and learn to fight for attention, certain characteristics can develop: Youngest kids tend to be socially savvy, manipulative and charming. They often take unnecessary risks, and are described as creative and confident.
First, they never get blamed for anything because the parents often set the blame on the older sibling(s), or they say “they were only following your example.” The youngest child can also learn from the oldest sibling's mistakes and remember not to do certain things that might set their parents off.
This sort of hierarchical floundering leads middle children to make their mark among their peers since parental attention is usually devoted to the beloved firstborn or baby of the family. What's more, "middle children are the toughest to pin down because they play off their older sibling," says Dr. Leman.
Supposedly, last-borns share the following traits in common: they are people-oriented, tenacious, affectionate, uncomplicated. Those in the middle apparently grew up feeling either squeezed or rootless are known for being: social, good at compromising, diplomatic, sometimes a bit secretive.
As a result, lastborns usually get away with more than their older siblings do, says Dr. Leman. They shoulder less responsibility, so the youngest child tends to be carefree, easygoing, fun-loving, affectionate, and sociable, and they like to make people laugh.
What's the secret to a blissful family life? Apparently it's a game of X's. (Well, four X chromosomes, to be exact.) Having two daughters leads to the most harmonious family life, according to a study by the popular U.K. parenting website Bounty.com.
A person's brother or sister who has one parent in common.
The survey concluded that parents tend to favour their youngest child over the elder.
Only 30% say they prefer the eldest. This pattern is similar to parents with three or more children who favour one above the others. Many (43%) prefer the youngest, a third (34%) a middle child and fewer (19%) the eldest. Having a favourite is controversial.
The youngest was less of a handful than their more "tricky and demanding" siblings. The survey backs up the results of a study published by researchers at Brigham Young University's School of Family Life which also found the youngest child is the favourite for most families.
The onset of adolescence, generally between 12 and 14, is the hardest age for a teenage girl. The hormones of puberty cause her to feel her emotions more intensely but she has not yet developed the reasoning skills to know how to handle them.
They become quite independent as they reach 5-6 years of age, even wanting to help you with some of the chores! This is probably why most parents look at age 6 as the magical age when parenting gets easier.