They are not the baby. They are not the oldest. They don't get the perks of being the first born. They don't get the attention of being the last little one. They are the middle children. If you're a middle child you know what I am talking about. I don't think this idea of how tough it is to grow up in the middle was ever better depicted than in the character of Jan Brady from TV's The Brady Bunch.

Today is Middle Child Day: So for all the Jan Brady's in the world , at least for today, you don't need to be concerned with Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Today is a day to celebrate you.

There is evidence that points to the relationship between birth order and the personality traits of siblings. The difficulties of being the child in the middle has been studied so much it has been given a name. It's called Middle Child Syndrome. It is often manifest in resentment due to a perceived lack of attention from parents. It's very real.

The middle child also has a bit of resentment for the baby in the family. Once the younger sibling is born the middle child is no longer the baby, no longer the focus of parental attention. The baby of the family tends to be more affectionate and sophisticated. They are spoiled rotten by parents because they are the final child.

If you're a middle child don't worry there is still an opportunity for you to step out of the shadow of the older sibling and escape the attention given to the baby. There are quite a few middle kids that did alright;  Abraham Lincoln, Jennifer Lopez, David Letterman, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Brittany Spears were all middle kids. They survived growing up and went on to make quite a name for themselves.

 

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