"The Eldest Daughter Effect" shows how
This is eldest daughter syndrome: the unofficial, unpaid role of managing the family dynamic, foisted upon women from a young age because they have the emotional intelligence and age advantage — or rather, disadvantage.
As the oldest daughter enters adulthood, she may experience sadness and depression without identifying a reason for either. This state can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as personality disorders and free-floating anxiety.”
What Is Oldest Child Syndrome? Oldest Child Syndrome is believed by some to be evidence of common characteristics that can be attributed to birth order. These traits of first-born children include a sense of entitlement, responsibility, and ambition.
On TikTok, many eldest daughters describe feeling like they have had to grow up more quickly or even forfeit their childhood to substitute for their parents. "This is called parentification, and girls can be more likely (although it's not always the case) to take on this role," says Tyler.
Obsession, desire for perfection, high self-esteem, or pressure to meet parents' expectations are common signs of oldest child syndrome. Children with oldest child syndrome could show dominance and act as second parents to siblings.
Age 8 Is the Hardest Age to Parent, According to Parent Poll.
Eldest daughter syndrome is the burden felt by oldest daughters because they're given too many adult responsibilities in their family before they're ready. Eldest daughter syndrome can make women feel overburdened, stressed out, and constantly responsible for others.
According to Adler, the first born is more susceptible to depression because of high expectations of parents and suddenly losing the attention due to another sibling being born.
Researchers have found a correlation between risk-taking and being the last-born sibling.
They are expected to be the holder of the family values and guide their siblings, so there is a higher expectation usually because of that. Sometimes it's more explicit and sometimes it's less explicit, but that's often why the oldest child feels a lot of pressure,” she says.
Oldest Child - “The Achiever”
As a result, firstborn children tend to be responsible, well-behaved, and possess strong leadership qualities. The oldest children are often held to a higher standard than the later-borns. They are the first of everything, and their parents are going through it for the first time, too.
Firstborns tend to possess psychological characteristics related to leadership, including responsibility, creativity, obedience and dominance. They are also more likely to have higher academic abilities and levels of intelligence than their younger siblings.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no scientific evidence that suggests all firstborn daughters necessarily resemble their fathers.
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.
Many previous studies looked into this relationship. There is evidence that the first born children experience more stress than their younger siblings. Weiss (1970), conducted a study to assess the relation between birth order and anxiety.
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.
What are the traits of a glass child? Experts say a glass child is typically emotionally neglected; experience severe pressure to be problem-free and perfect; take on parental responsibilities within the family at a young age; and have an overwhelming need to make others happy.
In addition, parentification can be parent-focused or sibling-focused. Parent-focused parentification describes caregiving directed toward the parent or primary caregiver. Sibling-focused parentification indicates that the child or teen has taken a caregiving role toward a sibling or siblings.
Most unresolved childhood trauma affects self-esteem and creates anxiety. Did you suffer a serious childhood illness? If so, you were likely isolated at home or hospitalized. This meant being removed from normal social activities and you probably felt lonely, maybe even worried about being different.
A recent survey showed that parents of 12- to 14-year-old teens had a harder time than parents of toddlers, elementary school children, high school children, and adult children.
One's late twenties and early thirties, from an emotional perspective, are therefore the worst part of life. It's during these years that people experience the most negative thoughts and feelings and experience the most mind wandering, a psychological state that has been shown to be detrimental to well-being.