Itthis works well for me :
.home .red:nth-child(1) { border: 1px solid red; } .home .red:nth-of-type(1) { border: 1px solid red; } <div class="home"> <span>blah</span> <p class="red">first</p> <p class="red">second</p> <p class="red">third</p> <p class="red">fourth</p> </div>