Don’t underestimate the middle child
I am a victim of Middle Child Syndrome. I get the least amount of attention out of my siblings, with my parents usually talking about my older brother’s newest internship or my younger brother’s multiplication skills. When I play games with my siblings, I’m usually the default “bad
guy” and serve as a punching bag for the two. Worst of all, my parents expect me to do most of the housework out of my siblings.
To non-middle children, these struggles seem like a joke, but it’s something that millions of people have to deal with everyday. To make things worse, parents usually deny that they treat the middle child differently. However, as Kelly Clarkson once said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In a sense, the benefits (or lack thereof) that middle children receive drives them to find success on their own.
Having the least amount of attention is a blessing in disguise. Not only can you get away with suspicious activity, but you learn how to be independent very quickly. My parents were so caught up with my older brother’s college applications and taking care of my younger brother that it seemed like they forgot I existed. It forced me to travel through the treacherous waters of middle school alone, which was a rough yet rewarding experience.
The same goes for being given more chores than my siblings. When I asked my father why I had to wash the dishes every night, he replied by quoting Goldilocks: “Your older brother is too old and your younger brother is too young. But you, you are just right.” Although this explanation never made sense to me, I continued to wash the dishes every night, and I eventually developed a strange love for it. Now, if anyone else in my family washes the dishes, I am on the verge of tears. The point is that my parents now trust me with taking care of my siblings. If they are gone, I am able to make dinner and clean up after them, while they do so much as put their plate in the sink. With these skills, I will be able to be a good roommate and provide for my parents in the future.
The trend of middle children making the best out of the worst extends far beyond me. What do Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates and Martin Luther King Jr. have in common? They’re all middle children. Middle children have grown up to advance society tremendously, and they will continue to do so in the future. Sure, they may be underappreciated or forgotten from time to time, but when they are given the spotlight, middle children shine.