According to various studies, my husband should be a real dumb ass. Instead, he’s just finished his master’s in aerospace engineering, (so proud) deciphering symbols like: ∑, ∫, and ∆. I scraped by algebra with a D, thanks to the teachers who took pity on me because of the lost look permanently etched on my face. I’m still confused over that whole order of operations business professors were always yammering on about. I was proud when I showed up.
Time magazine did a piece on proper spacing between children. According to a study soon to appear in the Journal of Human Resources, children at least two years apart are smarter (more smart?) than those birthed back-to-back. It claims older children scored higher on math and reading tests than their Irish twin counterparts.
Makes sense, I had two years and four months to focus solely on Scarlett’s education. I read to her without interruption, my undivided attention rested on her every breath; she was my alpha and omega. Now with her brother around, her I.Q. has dropped a few points, she’s often seen with her finger knuckle deep in nostril, and she grunts a lot.
Findings in Kasey Buckles’ study support beliefs that older siblings enjoy more time and attention from mom and dad before baby comes along, taking away resources since they need to eat, too. Child 1 may spend more time in front of the television so the parents can keep up with the workload brought on by Child 2.
Buckles says the difference is really glaring amongst families living on a tighter budget. According to her, those with more money can hire help, place Child 1 in classes, or may have both parents at home to split the work.
I never put much stock in studies like these, too many questions or outliers remain. I think Brian and I are a perfect example of just how misleading these findings can be. I was breast-fed for a year, spaced more than two years from my sibling, and wasn’t allowed to watch TV. He guzzled formula, is only 18 months from his brother, and loved his 'toons — guess which one of us locks her keys in the car, with it running, while she’s in McDonalds for 45 minutes?
To read more on the study go to: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/21/spacing-kids-at-least-two-years-apart-makes-for-smarter-siblings/#ixzz1eswqIJeu
