55 Posts About What It’s Like Being The Middle Child
Middle children often get to be the butt of the joke. Overlooked, underappreciated, and forgotten. But did you know that more than half of U.S. presidents were middle children? Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy were all middleborns. Got to get that attention somehow...
Wondering what it’s like being a middle child? We’ve got just the compilation for you! Here’s a list of the funniest posts and tweets about the fate of the middle child. As a middle child myself, I can say that I relate to most of them. And I agree that Kevin from Home Alone should’ve been a middle child. No one has ever forgotten the youngest one in my family; that honor was always bestowed upon me!#1Image credits: LeenMcBeans#2Image credits: ysodumb_#3Image credits: JPLFR80It's hard to say whether being the middle child is really the worst. The fact is that every each child can claim they weren't loved enough or didn't receive enough attention. Firstborns may think they get the least of it because parents often dote on the younger ones. The eldest child often might need to take on some parent-like responsibilities, especially if there's a considerable amount of siblings in the home.The youngest might feel neglected because they're not included in the sibling group or the parents just don't have the time to spare with all the other kids around. A mom once told me that the youngest kid is the easiest. "They practically raise themselves," she said. I wouldn't say I agree, but there is some truth to it. In my experience, parents stress about things with the youngest one way less, possibly resulting in a more relaxed, permissive type of parenting.#4Image credits: mommeh_dearest#5Image credits: momsense_ensues#6Image credits: gptbrookeExperts say that birth order does play part in the forming of our personalities. Kevin Leman, Ph.D., a distinguished psychologist who studied birth order since 1967 and wrote The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are says that parents treat children differently based on their birth order.And then there's also sibling relationships. They also form our personalities, depending on whether we're the oldest, the middle, or the youngest child. And let's not forget those who are only children; they have their unique characteristics as well. Experts say they're mature for their age, diligent, perfectionist leaders. But that's in broad strokes, of course.#7Image credits: crystalsug#8Image credits: cschleichsrun#9Image credits: Matt_PetrosinoMiddle child syndrome isn't actually recognized as an official condition. So far it's only a theory psychologists like Leman and Alfred Adler did research on. What's more, researchers have trouble applying the same common characteristics to all middle children. They claim there are many more factors that influence an individual's personality.#10Image credits: IHideFromMyKids#11Image credits: abimoore11#12Image credits: JonahDispatchStill, there are some characteristics they claim many middle children might have. For example, middle children tend to be more independent from their family. "They're usually the first of their siblings to take a trip with another family or to want to sleep at a friend's house," Linda Dunlap, Ph.D., explains. When they're adults, they also might be the first of all the siblings to move out, and, possibly, the farthest away.#13Image credits: TimDuffy#14Image credits: thedad#15Image credits: nikalamityMiddle children also thrive on friendships. They might have a wider social circle than their siblings. They rely on their parents, brothers, and sisters less because they believe their family members don't value them as much. However, for them, quality of the friendsip trumps quantity. Parenting author Monica Swanson writes: "Middle children are said to be careful who they open up to, often keeping their feelings to themselves."#16Image credits: kiki_alonzo11#17Image credits: maryfairybobrry#18Image credits: EugeneLeeYangThe good news is that psychologists say middle children are good negotiatiors. They're often the peacekeepers in the family because they have to learn to "fit in" once the younger sibling(s) arrive. The other side of the coin is that they might be people-pleasers. Since they don't get the attention they want at home, they seek approval from other people, becoming diplomatic and adaptable.#19Image credits: Laur_Katz#20Image credits: MaraWilson#21Image credits: blairmptakHowever, middle children also have a rebellious streak. At least that's the case if the oldest sibling is structured and responsible. If the eldest is a rebel, the middle child might be the responsible one. Kevin Leman, Ph.D., explains that middle children are hard to pin down because they often play off the eldest sibling. So, in a sense, middle children might try to be as different from the eldest as possible.#22Image credits: HeerenSam#23Image credits: maryfairybobrry#24Image credits: AshleyRParkerThere's one more interesting trait that many middle children share: being most likely to remain faithful in marriage. Dr. Leman told Business Insider that since middle kids are so good at compromising and negotiating, they make their marriages work. Middle children also ten to be satisfied with marriage in general.#25Image credits: Marlebean#26Image credits: LurkAtHomeMom#27Image credits: IamEnidColeslawActual reasearch on the topic of birth order and common personality traits is contradicting. There are studies that show middle children are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior. On the other hand, other researchers found that middle children can be prone to maladaptive perfectionism. And a 2015 study concluded that there is no "lasting effect" of birth order on "broad personality traits."#28Image credits: bekindofwitty#29Image credits: dadmann_walking#30Image credits: JahniquexoUltimately, birth order doesn't dictate every facet of your personality. I, too, would love to believe that all my bad habits and traits are a result of my parents deciding to conceive me second. However, there are many more factors at play: financial, social, even geographical. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bill Gates were also middle children. And if the middle child syndrome is real, I feel like I'm in good company!#31Image credits: TheLoveyJames#32Image credits: themultiplemom#33Image credits: mommeh_dearest#34Image credits: renegadeapostle#35Image credits: frankenfemme_#36Image credits: thedad#37Image credits: dadmann_walking#38Image credits: hashimbutt01#39Image credits: veva_peter#40Image credits: Syrup_Tishus#41Image credits: Scriblit#42Image credits: XplodingUnicorn#43Image credits: All_Lee24#44Image credits: DrNeenaJha#45Image credits: politicalmath#46Image credits: MaraWilson#47Image credits: emmyfg#48Image credits: JillianDixon19#49Image credits: ReelQuinn#50Image credits: alexsembra#51Image credits: dfaber84#52Image credits: cocatanblanca#53Image credits: _Shapatar#54Image credits: JCRTVS#55Image credits: DaniJudkins
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