Older parents have brighter children?

[Anon778833]

This is only intended to be lighthearted. It occurs to me that the youngest children in families I know tended to be very bright. I know 4 families where the youngest went to Oxbridge.

Do older parents have brighter children? I'm sure I've read an article about it somewhere.

That explains my brilliance then

Perhaps it's possible that the youngest in the family has had to compete for everything since they were born, which might make them more ambitious and determined to succeed.

Or the youngest just has more people to copy/learn from?

No true in my family, I'm the oldest 😁

Or maybe it is, given I can't spell not apparently 🤦‍♀️

I’m the oldest and most academically bright of my siblings.

There is a genetic component to intelligence (I believe, don't quote me).

This is a bit woolly and I can't quote proper scientific sources, but I believe that the higher the level of education, the later the age of marriage and childbirth. Intelligence and education aren't 100% equivalent, but if the parents are both intelligent and both are better educated then they are likely to be older when they have kids.

Also, generally, with all the usual exceptions, older parents are likely to be more established and have more resources for a child (which feeds into intelligence) and are likely calmer and in a better place to give support and encouragement to their kids.

So by and large, there could be actual reasons why older parents have brighter kids.

Disclaimer and absolutely non-stealth boast. Was 40 when I had my son. He's in an insanely academic grammar school and his predicted GCSE grades are one 7 and the rest 8. And the parents I see at the schools tend to be a little older.

Another disclaimer - weren't particularly established or mature and I have no idea how my kid turned out so well. I even get compliments on their manners.

I had my dd at 17. She went to uni and has a fantastic job!!

@PurpleDaisies

I’m the oldest and most academically bright of my siblings.

Me too. 🤣

@Tyredofallthis1

There is a genetic component to intelligence (I believe, don't quote me).

This is a bit woolly and I can't quote proper scientific sources, but I believe that the higher the level of education, the later the age of marriage and childbirth. Intelligence and education aren't 100% equivalent, but if the parents are both intelligent and both are better educated then they are likely to be older when they have kids.

Also, generally, with all the usual exceptions, older parents are likely to be more established and have more resources for a child (which feeds into intelligence) and are likely calmer and in a better place to give support and encouragement to their kids.

So by and large, there could be actual reasons why older parents have brighter kids.

Disclaimer and absolutely non-stealth boast. Was 40 when I had my son. He's in an insanely academic grammar school and his predicted GCSE grades are one 7 and the rest 8. And the parents I see at the schools tend to be a little older.

Another disclaimer - weren't particularly established or mature and I have no idea how my kid turned out so well. I even get compliments on their manners.

Yes but the op is talking about siblings. Presumably the parents don’t change their dna as they age.

I'm an old gimmer and my dd is a bleddy genius, so yes

I’m the oldest and parents in their 20s, I am the brightest and went to Oxford. But I think it’s interesting as we are now older ourselves - I had my first child at 32 - and I am much calmer and pushier and more savvy than I would have been as a 20something parent

In mine and DH's famillies it is the oldest of 4 or 5, born when the parents were very early twenties, who is the most obviously bright/academic/successful/wealthy as a result so I am not sure that is true.

Having had my children in my thirties though when more established in career/salary I definitely have "gamed" my children's education and activities far, far more than my parents - who basically left me to get on with it. Not sure if that is going to make brighter kids or just more spoiled/cosseted ones though - jury's still out.

There's been some research on this. I think it found that child outcomes reflect the resources that older parents tend to have - money for tutors, time to spend on homework help, reading together etc.

I'll try and find it

Stats say highest educational attainment of the mother is a big determiner don't they? My mother left school at 14 and is NOT academically bright, at all. She probably had undiagnosed dyslexia though. My father was academic/intelligent and went up to masters level. Out of their 5 kids, I am the eldest and most academic/successful, also went up to masters level. Middle three siblings went to university, one very successful in career, one not. Youngest also very dyslexic, not academic at all but runs own busy and doing very well there. So I am sure there is a genetic component to intelligence, but there is obviously going to be a random assortment of genes from both parents plus other personality traits that are there, or not, like determination, resilience, EQ etc which I think must have a large contribution. Plus the quality of early education and recognition of things like dyslexia, or not.

@PurpleDaisies I looked at 'do older parents have brighter children'

I am probably the brightest of my siblings, but we're all pretty with it, and I'm the oldest but my parents were older when they had me. So they were older parents when they had the first one.

There is the argument that by they get to child number four, the parents have worked it out.

I'm inclined to agree with @Tyredofallthis1 in that the socio-economic background of the parents is a factor. (Generally speaking, although there are exceptions).

We didn't plan it this way, but DD didn't arrive until we were in our 40s. She was a straight A student at school, and is currently in the top 10% of her cohort at a good university studying a demanding STEM degree.

Ok - thinking of my group of friends at Cambridge:-

2 * Oldest of 2
2 * Youngest of two (both significantly younger than sibling so effectively raised as an only child)
1 * Only Child
1 * Oldest of 3
1 * Middle of 3
1 * Oldest of 4
1 * Youngest of 2 (close in age)

There you go - anecdata at its best! And I can’t prove a thing for that!

Here it is

www.lse.ac.uk/News/Latest-news-from-LSE/2017/02-February-2017/Dramatic-turn-around-in-cognitive-abilities-of-children-born-to-older-mothers

It’s more that well-educated people tend to have children later, then do things which make their children brighter like reading to them a lot.

DP and I met at Oxbridge - my parents were 32 and 34 when they had me, his were 24 when they had him. We are both the eldest of two. But our friendship group had a mixture.

Doesn’t work for my family, I’m the oldest of 3 and did the best academically (only one to go to uni) - though I think my brother and sister are as intelligent as me, just I worked harder at school and academics suited me, they have other strengths.

I think there’s something in this:
This is a bit woolly and I can't quote proper scientific sources, but I believe that the higher the level of education, the later the age of marriage and childbirth. Intelligence and education aren't 100% equivalent, but if the parents are both intelligent and both are better educated then they are likely to be older when they have kids.

My parents were in their early 20s when they had me and I’m the eldest. I was a straight A student with a 1st class bachelors degree and post grad. If your parents promote good work ethic, resilience, encourage you with school work etc then you will do well at school (unless there’s an SEN that could have an impact on this). Nothing to do with age. Also, Oxbridge does not mean you are bright.

Going to Oxford or Cambridge certainly means a student is academically bright. Bright means different things to different people but surely academically bright is one of the key criteria? Perhaps you can explain further?

I have a toddler, now at 41 and her dad is 52. She seems very bright to me - knew all her colours by 16 months, can label numbers, letters, shapes and animals - even obscure ones like semi-circle or ostrich, deer etc. She's my 4th baby and notably cleverer than my other (not dim) children at this age. However, since we have a lot of autism in our family it could just be another representation of that 🤷🏻‍♀️

@PinkMochi

My parents were in their early 20s when they had me and I’m the eldest. I was a straight A student with a 1st class bachelors degree and post grad. If your parents promote good work ethic, resilience, encourage you with school work etc then you will do well at school (unless there’s an SEN that could have an impact on this). Nothing to do with age. Also, Oxbridge does not mean you are bright.

I don't agree. A good work ethic won't enable a straight A student. I have seen examples of this where friends of mine were pressured to excel in a subject that was just wrong for them. Leading to stress and heartache all around.

I have a couple of friends who went to Oxford & one in particular is academically brilliant. It's simply disingenuous to suggest otherwise although I certainly believe that academic success is not the only or the most valuable success to have. Oxbridge courses exist to stretch people who need it because they tend to have outstripped all their teachers previously.

My DM had me at 17, my DB at 18, we both passed our 11 plus and went to university (before it was a thing that such a high proportion of youngsters went).