"What rubbish," I scoffed when the news that those, like me, born in August struggle socially and academically drifted over the breakfast table from the radio. My husband listened as he ironed his shirt and I reeled off my academic achievements – A grades at GCSE and A level, degree from a Russell Group university. "And I was deputy head girl, and I was in chess club, the debating team, um… goal defence in the netball team… and I played the Angel Gabriel in the Nativity," I concluded, sounding more like someone you wished would leave you alone at Freshers' Week than a 39-year-old with a career and a life.
"Amazing," said my husband dryly, smug with his January birth. "If you achieved all that with an August birthday, we can only imagine how brilliant you would have been if you'd been born in September."
He pressed his collar and cuffs in the ensuing silence. I sat and stewed and wondered if that were true, if life would have been better if I'd appeared 30 days later, and stared at the other reason I'd instantly dismissed the report: our own August baby, Robin, who was born 12 weeks ago.
Do you believe the findings? Did you deliberately try to avoid having a summer baby? Are you an August baby who felt disadvantaged?
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