Everyone knows the stereotype of being the middle child: the oldest sibling attracts the attention, the youngest sibling is the cherished baby and the middle child is left out. Being a middle child squished between my older sister and younger brother, I find that it gives you the best of both worlds, but also gives you one hell of a headache.

One of the greatest things about being a middle child is that you were not the test dummy. All parents make mistakes with their first child because they are new to parenting. It’s true. My sister was dropped on her head three times as a kid. Was I ever dropped? No. My brother? Nope. In addition to this, older siblings push the envelope and pave the way for you. All your decisions are carefully calculated based upon what they have done before you. You look at your sibling and know what to do and what not to. Growing up in the wake of my sister, I know which of my parents’ buttons are safe to push and which are not. I’m also lucky that, due to the fact that my sister and I are a year and a half apart, we share clothes, makeup and even friends.

On the other end of the spectrum, my brother is four years younger than I am. We do not share clothes, makeup or friends. We share experiences. Having a younger sibling is different, it means having someone who looks up to you, even if he or she won't tell you. Younger siblings teach you more than you would expect. Having a little brother taught me the real meaning of unconditional love. I don’t care how mad I get, I instantly feel guilty when we fight. When you have a little brother or sister, you always feel like a second mom to them. I find myself crying over every single thing my brother accomplishes. You get a strange sense of pride and joy that you would never expect. You become a more generous and caring person when you have a younger sibling.

Despite all of this, being a middle child is no walk in the park. Sometimes you do feel left out. Occasionally you do feel forgotten. In my experience, most times, you do lose fights. Sometimes being a middle child alone can create its own fights. Being the first, every older sibling makes mistakes. Even though they are their mistakes, you tend to get yelled at by your parents to make sure you do not make the same ones. You have expectations to meet. Also, if you are close in age with your siblings, it causes more fights. My sister and I can fight until we are at each other’s throats. “She stole my shirt” and “She took my makeup” are common accusations in my house. Fights with an older sibling always come back to the same point: the older, the wiser. I would like to take this moment to tell everyone out there that age means nothing. Just because someone is older than you does not necessarily mean that they know more than you! To my middle child comrades, do not back down from this argument!

In contrast, I never got fought with my brother like I did with my sister. Our fights were of a different nature. You already know what I mean. I do not believe I have ever won one fight with my brother. My family has an ongoing joke with my mother to cut the cord when it comes to him. Parents always coddle their last baby because of that exact reason: they’re the last. Fighting with a younger sibling almost always ends in a loss. I’m sorry, there is no way around it. It is just how it is. You cannot throw a tantrum because that is their job. You have to be older and more mature, even when you do not want to be. Younger siblings are expected to grow up slower because parents don’t want to let go. This results in serious frustration from you because you expect more. You expect "the baby of the house" to share the responsibility of doing the dishes or taking out the trash. Despite your expectations, the puppy face will always win.

You learn a lot from being born in the middle. It is not something everyone has the privilege of experiencing. And yes, I do think it's a privilege. You are tough and independent. You see, you learn, you experience, you pass it on. In my opinion, with cons included, I would not have my life any other way. My siblings are my best friends, and I'm proud to be sandwiched between them, even if I’m sometimes squished a little too hard.