The School Your Sibling Attended

The first child requires research. Parents visit schools, compare options, weigh commutes against curricula, ask other parents, agonize over the decision. Eventually, a school is chosen.

The second child does not require research. The school is already known. The teachers are familiar. The route is mapped. The uniforms are in the closet. The decision was made years ago, for someone else, under different circumstances—but it persists.

Sometimes the second child is different in ways that matter. Different learning style, different interests, different needs. Sometimes the family's situation has changed—new neighborhood, new finances, new priorities. Sometimes a better school has opened nearby.

None of this triggers a new search. The default is already set. Reconsidering would require effort, justification, a reason strong enough to override the path already taken. Continuing requires nothing.

This is not negligence. Re-researching schools for every child would be exhausting, and usually unnecessary. The default is saving real effort. It frees attention for problems that actually need solving.

The second child attends the school their sibling attended. Often, so does the third. The decision made once continues to decide.