I'm sure I've said it before, and I know I'll say it again: I'm the third of four kids. And while, yes, there is a somewhat significant age gap between me and the older two, I have been stuck in the middle for quite a while. From the minute my younger brother was born to the minute my older brother left for college, I was the middle child. Honestly, I was probably a very stereotypical middle child, too.
Despite some of the downfalls of being in the middle, there are some perks too. Here are 10 things we, as the middle children, know to be true.
1. You're basically a ninja...
You pretty much fly under the radar most of the time. While the older sibling(s) is(are) off doing one thing, and the younger sibling(s) is(are) off doing another, your parents' attention is usually all on them. This is both a blessing and a curse, but you can typically coast by a lot of the rules when you want to.
2. ...until your parents decide to overcompensate.
Some parents are more aware than others of the middle child syndrome. Some parents handle it better than others. Most parents try to fix it by overwhelming constant attention for hours on end one random day every four or five months or whenever they feel they've been more neglectful than usual to make up for all the days, where their attention was essentially focused anywhere but you.
3. Someone has done it before you.
No matter what you do, someone has already done it first. Soccer practice may have been new to you, but your parents know the routine and they flew you through it faster than you could figure out what the fuck shin guards were and why you needed them. You were really cute at the kid's choir Christmas concert...but so was your older sibling(s) when they did it, and someone is sure to show you the video of it if they can find it.
4. Someone will do it after you.
While the oldest gets to be able to do everything first, the youngest goes through all those firsts last, but your parents cry a little more because their the last 'firsts' any of their kids will go through. They're as much of an emotional wreck over your younger sibling(s) riding a bike on their own for the first time as they are about their firstborn receiving their diploma. With you, they've already been through it before and they'll go through it again, so it's not quite as "real" to them.
5. Your siblings have no idea how you do it.
Seriously. They have no clue. For the most part, they think how your parents treat them is the norm for all the other kids, too. They have no idea how you get away with so much and are very jealous.
6. You're the mediator...
When tensions seem to be running high, you usually try to step in and keep the peace. Either with a witty comment or a completely random thought to divert attention elsewhere, you've probably gotten pretty good at resolving conflicts.
7. ...or you're the instigator.
Sometimes things need a little spicing up at home, and sibling drama can be fun to watch when it's over something petty and won't last longer than 24 hours. But there's no need to get your hands dirty yourself. One well-placed comment while one of your siblings is nearby is usually enough to light the fire that leads to a day's worth of laughter for you.
8. Patience is a virtue.
You've become a master of patience. You kind of have to wait for a lot of things you want, so you really didn't have a choice on that one.
9. Negotiation is a skill.
But while you mastered the art of patience, you also picked up on silent negotiation. By waiting everything out, whether it be a sibling's sporting event, going to their theater production or volunteering to go grocery shopping with your parents, you know that by wracking up all these brownie points it'll be hard for your parents to say "no" to whatever it is you're asking for, since you've been so good.
10. Compare and contrast.
You're always being compared to your siblings. Whether by teachers, parents or friends, no one hesitates to point out similarities and differences. Sometimes teachers even carry over biases, good and bad, left over from the older sibling(s) that ultimately affects how you fare in the class.
Not every situation as the middle child is the same of course. People are different (it's kind of their thing), but the gist of being the middle child is pretty much contained here on this little list. We aren't our siblings, no matter how many similarities. We can sometimes be glossed over. Sometimes we light the fire and sometimes we put it out. We're stuck in the middle which, yeah, can suck a lot of the time, but we don't know what we'd do without our siblings so I suppose we wouldn't have it any other way.
