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How does eldest daughter syndrome affect some women?
Thanks for asking.
Female listeners, if you're the oldest of multiple siblings, you probably know the drill.
Being the big sister often means being thrust into a parental role from a young age and sometimes having to sacrifice your own personal growth as a result.
And discussions of this phenomenon have been increasing in the last year or so.
The term eldest daughter syndrome has emerged and started trending on TikTok from 2023 onwards.
At the time of recording, the eldest daughter syndrome hashtag had accrued over 1000 posts and nearly 50 million views.
What exactly does eldest daughter syndrome entail then?
The term isn't a formal mental health diagnosis, but still there are a number of common signs.
American woman, Jamila Jones, is a licensed clinical professional counselor and she spoke to charliehealthcom for a feature on eldest daughter syndrome in autumn 2023.
Jones described the syndrome as the unique challenges and expectations that are often placed upon the eldest child in a family.
To put it simply, it's often like eldest daughters are a second mum.
This parentification typically encompasses everyday tasks that become increasingly demanding as the girl grows up.
It might be picking up siblings from school, helping with homework and handling household chores, for example, or even grocery shopping.
Now these might seem like minor errands, but when they become daily duties, it's no longer a case of simply helping out.
You're talking about full-fledged obligations.
From pregnancy, among other things.
At least, that's according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Their findings were published in the February 2024 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology.
The researchers had followed families for nearly 15 years, from pregnancy through to the eldest daughter's adolescence, and they found that girls tend to mature faster when their mothers experience high stress levels during pregnancies, leading to early puberty in the child.
These physical changes are often accompanied by emotional maturity.
Jennifer Hahn Holbrook was one of the study's co-authors and, talking to the Huffington Post for an article about the study, she explained that when times are tough and mothers are stressed in pregnancy, it's in the mother's adaptive best interest for her daughter to socially mature at a quicker pace.
Now that conclusion might seem a little extreme, but it raises an intriguing question.
Is eldest daughter syndrome simply a matter of upbringing or an evolutionary survival instinct?
Well, no surprises really.
That's because it's a societal phenomenon which stems from our patriarchal norms.
The most likely explanation is that less is expected from boys when it comes to household health.
As for the long-term consequences for eldest daughters, there's a mix of potentially positive and negative impacts.
As adults, eldest daughters may feel like they missed out on their childhood, having been expected to take on significant responsibilities from a young age.
On the other hand, girls who matured quickly often find success in their professional lives.
Thanks to their experience with organizational responsibilities and control, they're better able to climb the ladder to leadership positions.
There you have it.
Now you know how eldest daughter syndrome affects some women.
In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
