Middle child syndrome

Being the middle child

The children who are born second to couples that have two or more children are what we call middle children. This is an important thing owing to the fact that what determines us is not only our relationship to our parents but also to our siblings. There are some instances where the middle child is left with a feeling that it belongs nowhere in particular and always puts in an effort to get their mother’s and/or father’s attention. Sometimes, the middle child feels that the eldest and the youngest child get all the attention and consideration particularly because they were born first or last.

Signs of the middle child syndrome

Sometimes the middle child will get a feeling that it belongs nowhere in particular. It feels that this sets it apart from other siblings. This may result in the middle child trying hard to somehow demonstrate and strongly assert its presence and position within the family. The solution to this problem is the effort on the side of the parent(s) – they need to reassure the child that it has no real grounds for feeling such a way and that all of their children mean equally to them.

In cases where the middle child can’t help but feel not desired, it may result in the feeling of low self-respect. This impression that the child is not desired is a very bad one, and it can result in other more serious consequences in the adult stages of life. It is not hard to deduce that this type of unhappiness can hamper maturation processes in a child. Consequences such as unstable self-assurance may spring up.

In certain cases, the outsider may rightfully observe that the middle child acts as if it is not quite sociable. Some may assert that middle children frequently tend to be “lonely riders” through life. Since they have started feeling somewhat rejected by the family, this feeling carries on to their adult life and they tend to feel that it is in their nature to be lone wolves.

It is often the case that a middle child will at a certain point get the feeling of no clear direction. They may very likely feel that they simply cannot confide neither to their progenitor nor to their brothers or sisters. Of course, this does not mean that middle children cannot succeed in life – it is just that some of them that are affected by the middle child syndrome might find it more difficult than others.