Winter Babies Versus Summer Babies
According to some researchers, if you are born in the winter months in the United States, you will (on average) do more poorly in life in many ways compared to someone born in the summer months. You will do worse in school, get less education, be less healthy, and die earlier than someone who was born in the summer. This strange fact has been known for many years, yet the reasons for it remain something of a mystery.
A recent study reported in today’s Wall Street Journal notes that there have been different explanations proposed by scientists. A popular explanation for many years was that the problem has to do with compulsory school attendance laws in the US. Something that is compulsory is required, something you must do. In most US states, you are required to go to school until at least your 16th birthday. This means that if you turn (reach the age of) 16 in, say (for example), January, you can leave school in the middle of the year. Since people born in winter months can leave in the middle of the year, they will get less education than someone who was born in the summer months and therefore can’t leave school until the year is over. (Note: Schools also have rules about how old you must be to start school.)
Some researchers thought that these compulsory attendance laws explained why winter babies did somewhat worse than summer babies in academic (school) achievement. But a recent study has found another, more convincing reason: Babies born in the winter come from mothers who are slightly (somewhat, a little) less educated, younger, and more likely to be unmarried. Other research tells us that (again, on average) the children of younger (especially teenage girls), less educated, single mothers do worse in school and in other areas of life than those who are born to older, more educated, married mothers. (This is a statistical average, of course; I’m not saying that all children are like this!) So if babies born in the winter have different family backgrounds, this reason may explain their differences in school performance, and not some other reason (such as compulsory school attendance laws or the weather or the lack of sunlight). Your parent’s income, education, and marital status (whether they are married or not) can have a significant influence on how well you do in school.
But even if this is true, it just raises (brings up) another question: Why do babies born in the winter have younger, less educated, single mothers compared to summer babies? No one has a good answer for this yet. One possibility is what is called the Prom Effect. Prom is an annual formal dance at American high schools in the springtime (usually April or May) when students often have late night parties after the end of the dance where there exists, let us say, a greater possibility for a baby to be created. May is nine months before January, so, well…you get the idea. But that is just a guess, and no researcher has a good answer for that question yet.
~Jeff
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Oh, now all is clear to me now………I am a winter baby, so this new research let me understand all my little or big problems at the school, at work and about my heard head.
I am thinking now about all the friends and fellows I have or met before and what is the month when they were born, and of course I have to fit the new research with them to try of explain something about their characters.
Well, at least Cuca was born in summer, I am save.
And my daghters?….one in summer and the other two in spring….that´s great.
Jeff, you make me happy.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hi guys, this is Peter posting from Paris,
The hotel i have resided in provides internet access. I cannot contain my self ,guys. it feels weiered coresponding to you guys from Paris. the computer I am using is very lame. I didnot get to read Jeff Stuff through yet . but ,I will the second I get settel down . this darn computer is getting the best of me, besides,the jet lag and cabin fever is catching up to me.
bye now
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Jeff,
you are saying it hypothetically, arent u
I mean the theory hasn’t panned out yet,has it
it dose not have substance Jeff
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I am a autumn baby. More precisely I am a late November baby, under Sagitarius zodiacal sign, and I am very happy because I have just found out a perfect excuse for all my problems.
More seriously, I think the piece of information provided by Dr. Jeff is perhaps strange, but just due to the fact that we don’t usually think about either such potential root causes nor the very odd effects.
Anyway, it is very imaginative, although a real thing, to find out a statistical relation between the births in January with the spring break feasts in April, but is is very likely so.
Thank you very much.
Best regards from Spain,
Julio (Jack).
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Sort of amazing discovery Jeff, But I personally believe that making a conclusion based on several samples, being accidentally similar to each other, might not be very reliable! To be honest, I just remembered some magazines in my place which, cause they don’t have attractive contents and absorbing issues, they publish stuff like this to amuse a group of people and make them their fans!!! So, I just appreciated the article only in terms of a chance to practice some useful vocabularies and definitions as well as being confused at the end! For sure, the personal opinions of you & the rest of the guys here are totally respected!
Tnx!
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Yes, indeed, I was born in winter. I have only to read what I have been writing just a moment ago and the bad English I have used.
What a big research it may be by all means.
Before I use to ask about the month to know something of the person´s horoscope……but this is new, we have the clue to know a lot of
interesting things about future possibilities….
Who knows?
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Please, Julio, tell me….what day of November were you born?. Of course, it´s not necessary to tell me the year I am not so curious, and it´s always an unplesant and very unpolite question to ask for.
Thank you in advance.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hi,
I believe that the essence of this research is that education really counts regardless of the day you are born … and that we should also pay attention to teach our childred to act thoughfully all the times but in particular when they have late night parties
Cheers,
Roberto
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Me too, I was born in winter and definitely I’m not less educated or more stupid than some of my friends who are born in summertime..! As far as I’m concerned this research seems to be a funny joke that hides another meaning: be careful to go to parties and have relationships with young girls! stay at home..
Bye
Fra
Thanks jeff and Lucy
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Emiliano, I was born on the 30th of November 1959.
Best ragards,
Julio.-
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:01 am
Peter, it seems to me that you are happy being in Paris, the Light City of so many films, romantic affairs and so on.
Looking for a nice parisian girl?.
Have a good time in the “One City” and enjoy as much as possible, because there are lots of interesting things to admire
in Paris.
Regards.
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:26 am
Thank you Julio, we were born nearly same day as I was on the 29th of November but in 1943, yes I am a little older.
When you said you were born at the end of November it was nice to me as I like to have a Sagitarius friend in the blog.
Strong character but good chaps usually.
Julio we are close to winter babies because the end of November is very cold, sometime colder than frebuary…..but we don´t care about it I think.
I suppose Jeff was in good humor and he wanted to do some fun with that extrange research that in fact I don´t belive anything about it.
Sorry Jeff, but that agreement between so inteligent people who did the research doesn´t fit at all.
I have been thinking and I know a lot of winter babies who have strong minds and very good jobs.
It´s not me, but I can be the good one who confirms the research.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:24 am
That`s just a Theory, only that…
September 24th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I have ever read the artical on it . it showed me that babies born in Summers will be smarter than babies born in winters.
but here is a new view , I was born On JUNE 19th, this is my frist time to leave message here,
September 25th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
i may see eye to eye with this article up to a point, because sometimes education depends on some people’s ability, i mean some people who were born with sliver spoon in thier mouths, may have the opportunity to go study abroad and be more educated than others who didn’t have the chance or the wherewithal to be well educated in high schools, and let’s not forget that it’s axiomatic that there’s kinds of poeple who are quick at the uptake as well as slow at the uptake, well this is the beast of nature
September 9th, 2010 at 4:57 am
I think this is nonsense. All children are equal, either winter or summer. Woman brings the child to this world when God gives her this happy opportunity, she can’t choose. Of course, you can plan and try to make a child to be born in summer)), but I think it doesn’t metter when the child will be born if you want him and you have a lot to give him