Parents are softer on younger siblings

Parents really find it easier to approach young children.

Scientists have found that children born later face fewer rules, spend more time in front of screens, and are less likely to be exposed to rigid expectations than their older siblings.

The study, conducted by Monash University and published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, examined the lives of nearly 5,000 children aged two to 15.

Researchers analyzed how teens spent their time by dividing activities into categories such as school, physical exercise, enrichment activities and digital media.

Enrichment activities included homework, reading, music lessons, and board games; digital media included television, video games, internet use and social media.

The results showed that second- and third-born children spent nine to 14 minutes more per day using screens compared to first-borns.

Experts believe that the main reason is the tolerance of parents.

The following statements were made in the research: “The increase in digital media time for later-born children is largely due to the activities that children do alone.

“We show that one possible explanation for this is that parents are more tolerant of later-born children.

“Parents are less likely to have rules about TV viewing and video games for their later-born children, and later-born children are less likely to perceive that their parents expect them to follow the rules.”

The findings echo a familiar story often seen in movies and television.

Researchers pointed to the Bridgerton family, where eldest son Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) takes on heavy responsibilities, while younger brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) has much more freedom to follow his passions.

Time diaries filled out by children and parents revealed that the rules became looser as later children grew older.

“We found that parents became more tolerant of rules for their later-born children as they grew older, corresponding to later-born children spending more time with digital media,” the researchers said.