<p>Veering way off topic – for those of us with more than one kid, where one is cautious & manages money well, and the other one has a spend-and-buy philosophy – I’m wondering if birth order plays a role. It seems that we are all describing an older child as the one who is good with money, a younger child as the one who isn’t. (Berurah – please tell me how to get a daughter like your oldest!!! She sounds like an absolute treasure)</p>
<p>In my own family the pattern was repeated – I’m the older of 2 kids; I hoard; my kid brother is irresponsible & spends. </p>
<p>So it occured to me that family dynamic & sibling relationships might be an evern bigger influence than parental values. For example, perhaps money-hoarding comes with the need of an older sibling to keep their possessions safe and out of reach from the younger… and perhaps the younger sibling develops a sense of entitlement and desire to spend from their lifelong habit of taking whatever belongs to the older sibling and trying to maximize use as quickly as possible before the older one arrives to take it back. </p>
<p>Just rank speculation of course – but does anyone here have the reverse pattern? A younger child who is the “responsible” one of the bunch?</p>