5 Perks of Being the Middle Child
A lot of people think that being a middle-born sucks because the eldest sibling gets the most privileges, the youngest sibling is the baby of a family, and the middle child (or children) often feels neglected or left out. There's even a whole syndrome named after middle children. However, being the middle child actually has some perks. Here are some of them.You get to be an older and younger sibling. When you have an elder sibling, you learn from their experiences and mistakes. When you have a younger sibling, they look up to you. But when you have both, you simultaneously have a role model and get to be one. Basically, your older sister or brother is your role model for how to be a role model for your younger sibling. How cool is that?
You can get away with a lot. Sometimes middle children feel like they are invisible because their siblings have stolen the spotlight. It sucks most of the time because you want people to notice you, but it has some surprising benefits, too. When most of your parents' attention is laid to the oldest and to the youngest, you have much more freedom. And if something happens, no one will think it's your fault (even if it is).
You're diplomatic. Middle children often have to act as a mediator when their siblings fight with each other or with their parents. Besides, they have to talk their parents into what they want, whereas older children can simply demand and younger children whine. So, as the middle child, you have top-notch negotiation skills. By they way, do you know that over 50% of all US Presidents have been middle-born? We bet there's a connection!
You're creative. Middle children are often left to their own devices, so they are forced to come up with imaginative ideas in order to entertain themselves and get some attention. Fred and George Weasley, for example, were middle-borns. And look how creative they were! Being the middle child, you learn to think out of the box and develop exceptional problem-solving skills.
You know what it's like to be the underdog. Being the underdog isn't necessarily a bad thing. Underdogs have lots of empathy because they know what it's like to be ignored. Underdogs are more determined to achieve success because they are underappreciated. Underdogs tend to stick together, so you'll always have friends who like you for who you are. Besides, as an underdog, there are a lot of film and book characters you can identify yourself with, starting with Charlie from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and ending with literally anyone from “Glee”.