Growing Up As A Middle Child | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Growing Up As A Middle Child

It’s a syndrome apparently. We middles are clinically defined as problematic.

412
Growing Up As A Middle Child
Pinterest

Think about this: the oldest child is flawless, which is implied in their royal birthright as the first. They are obviously the favorite, always being told the important information. They're entitled to the front seat, which we always challenge them for every time, and they’re valued for their own opinions because of the assumption, which is ingrained in our younger brains from birth, older is wiser. The first of the firsts, busy marking their territory and reinstating the rules set down by the parents.

Then we have the youngest, the baby, a savior of a parent’s youth, the one who gets away with everything, and the annoying pain in the ass always trying to put in their two cents. The bayyy-be (said with a mocking tone of each syllable) is preoccupied with the excess of attention and indulging in coddling and all of its pacifying glory.

The middle child is the forgotten kid, smack dab in between. We are the layer of lettuce inside a sandwich that you can barely taste, yet significantly uniting the meat and cheese. Perhaps this just applies to my family, as we epitomize the birth order stigmas.

My older sister, love her to death, is nurturing but sometimes tries too much to be a parental figure. Meanwhile, my younger brother is a strong leader and my fellow troublemaker. Then there’s me. I try to keep the peace but also cause a lot of the mayhem in the house. It’s mostly the fact that I dislike being told what to do, as most middle children would agree. But it’s not all bad being the middle kid; we’ve got some advantages our siblings would kill for.

For one, we have the benefits. The middle child can sidestep the mistakes the oldest makes, while still importing wisdom onto the youngest. We don’t have to be first, which is sometimes hard to deal with, but overall kind of a good thing. We get someone to go ahead and pave the road ahead while we only have to leave footprints in the sand. As the middle child, we can always have a guide in front of us in life. This allows us to have a person to follow, but we’re also allowed to do our own thing, thus showing our youngest sibling that the world is theirs for the taking and you don’t have to fit a certain mold, a role which I hope I’ve set for my younger brother.

Being a middle child also allows you some leverage. I’ll be the first to admit that I love to test the waters with my parents. I have slightly more room to ask to go places and try new things, while also being able to say, “C’mon, my sister was allowed to do this!” I’m a button pusher but for some reason my parents let me do it. This drives my siblings insane (Sorry I figured out the system, guys). I’ve never gotten away with anything that was really bad, and I think my parents knew that I was going to parties in high school and just kind of let it go in order to let me do my own thing. I also always have two people to blame. This isn’t the nicest thing but every middle child uses this to their advantage. If something bad in the house happens, we can always say our older siblings did it, or flip it and say that our younger sibling didn’t listen or take our advice. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s the magic of the middle child, I guess.

I do try to keep the peace in the house, even if sometimes I’m the one that starts it. But I don’t have my life together, a refreshing perspective for my siblings as I tend to be the family screw up. Since we abide by our roles, my sister is all like, “Hey, I’m the responsible, mature 86-year-old – who’s up for intellectual conversation and a glass of wine?” Meanwhile, my brother is all, “I’m sleeping in today, probably going to play some video games later since I work hard while the girls are away at school ,so I should be able to take the summer off while they’re home, right?” And yet, I’m over here pondering how to make our coffee machine work, trying to not turn my white clothes pink, and barely capable of planning life day-by-day. Yet, when we all start to drift, being the middle child, I’ve got to keep us all together, the glue of us kids. We all have to stick together even if it feels like we’re planets apart. Family makes or breaks a lot of people’s lives and I try really hard to have it make ours.

As middle children, we have to be the best at sharing, because we never really had anything of our own. We’re either inheriting or passing along hand-me-downs. Not everything is bright, shiny or new, but what is mine is yours. This helps a lot for the real world. We have the perspective of compromise and working things out. Being a middle child gives us the edge on those in the real world who are used to getting everything they want. We role with the punches and take it one day at a time.

Being a middle child is more complicated that you might think but it’s the best kind of complicated there is. You get one kick butt older sibling helping you out and one mostly cool little sibling you get to help make into a really cool human being. Why would anyone ever want to change that?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

193525
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

16846
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

459337
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

27462
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments