"Sladdbarn" is a Swedish term to refer to a child who is born much later than their other siblings. The terms differ from the colloquial English expression "oops baby" which simply refers to any unplanned birth. There are similar terms for the concept in many other

Nordic languages The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is also r ...

and some others.

Definition

There are many opinions about how far apart it should be for the child to considered a sladdbarn. If it has been at least six years between siblings, the younger child can be regarded as a sladdbarn according to the behavioral pedagogue Elisabeth Schönbeck. Another opinion is that it is when the difference between the infant and the second youngest is greater than the difference between the second youngest and the eldest child. A commonly held rule of thumb is that it should be 10 years between the children. Another criterion may be that the child is born long after the first clutch of children and thus is not part of the companionship of their older siblings, missing out on the sibling bonding stage during childhood, developing more as a single child.

Causes

Sladdbarn can be born because the parents mistakenly believe that they can no longer have children due to their age and stop using

contraceptives Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

. Another reason for a much later sibling is due to the parents feeling that their first group of children are getting older and they miss having small children around. Sometimes older couples with a more unstable relationship have yet another child in later life due to feeling a need to keep the relationship together when their older children start becoming independent, thus losing the so-called "glue" that kept them from growing apart.

Effects

During the early 20th century having a sladdbarn was considered shameful in the country, as it was considered to imply that the parents were overly sexually active in old age. In Sweden in the 1960s having a sladdbarn was considered a major economic setback for a working-class family but a

status symbol A status symbol is a visible, external symbol of one's social position, an indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols. ''Status symbol'' is also a sociological term – as part of social and soci ...

for the richer who could afford it.Åke Arenhill; ''Nya och illustrerade sagor om Skåne'' 1966 Children whose only siblings are much older than them sometimes report feeling like an

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, Birth, by birth or adoption. Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born con ...

. Many sladdbarn are often accused of being spoiled by their parents according to the older siblings. They are also often said to remain childish even in adulthood.

Other terms

There are many playful synonyms for sladdbarn in the Nordic countries. In

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, "efterskott" may be used (a double entendre, meaning "arrears", but literally also "after-shot"). In

Finland Swedish Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish ( sv, finlandssvenska; fi, suomenruotsi) is a general term for the variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population, commonly a ...

, there is a term "skrapabulla" (scrape bun, the word comes from the slightly smaller bun that gets created when a baker needs to scrape off the bowl to get enough dough to fill the last cup). In

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

, the term that is used is "iltatähti" (Evening Star), this after the planet

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

, which becomes visible during dusk, before the sun has gone down completely. In

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

, "attpåklatt" is a commonly used term, being the equivalent of "top-up" or "small refill" of your bowl of porridge. In English, a sladdbarn is sometimes colloquially called an "oops' baby".

Notable people

Ola Salo Ola Salo (born Rolf Ola Anders Svensson; 19 February 1977) is a Swedish rock musician, and the lead vocalist of Swedish glam rock band The Ark. Early life He lived in Rottne, Växjö Municipality, in Sweden when he was a child, where, in 1991, ...

– singer *

Miss Li Linda Karlsson (born 21 July 1982), better known by her stage name Miss Li, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. Since beginning her career in the early-2000s, she has released a total of eight studio albums, and several of her songs have been feat ...

– singer and songwriter *

Niklas Andersson Niklas Per Andersson (born 20 May 1971) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger. In his career, he spent time with several National Hockey League (NHL) teams as well as various minor professional teams in North America, but most ...

–

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

player * Anna Holmlunds –

skier Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

References