Middle children essentially experience the best of both worlds: They learn from the wisdom of elders, while still acting as leaders to their younger siblings. Although recent research has turned this idea on its head, arguing that being an only child has little to no effect on future social development, growing up with siblings has nonetheless been linked to lower rates of divorce and higher rates of overall altruism. Numerous studies have pointed to the social and mental benefits of growing up with siblings: According to one Ohio State University study, children with siblings had more highly developed social skills in kindergarten than only children, presumably because they were forced to play well with others from a young age.
They're more likely to take risks and be creative. In fact, one 1976 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that later-born children had better social skills and were more popular than firstborns. The negotiating and peacemaking skills of middle children can also be used to their advantage socially and in the workplace, which makes them great friends and social supports. "The negotiator role is one they typically have to take up to get what they need in competition with the needs and desires of favored firsts and pampered lasts," Salmon said. As Catherine Salmon, a professor of psychology at the University of Redlands and coauthor of the book The Secret Power of Middle Children, told Mic, middle children become skilled in seeing things from the other person's perspective as a result of their childhood experiences, which makes them expert problem-solvers later on in life. When you're surrounded by both older and younger siblings, middle children have to constantly compete for attention and resources, so they can find their own niche within their families. They're skillful negotiators and peacemakers. That's why we rounded up eight reasons you should be proud to be a middle child (or wish that you were). Contrary to what The Brady Bunch might have taught us, being stuck in the middle can actually help you develop strong leadership qualities later on in life.
#Middle child syndrome full#
The idea that middle children are emotionally bereft has also gained traction in popular culture, such as Stephanie Tanner on Full House.Īlthough middle child syndrome sounds bad, new research suggests that being a middle child actually has some surprisingly enviable advantages. So they end up getting lost in the shuffle of their own families - and develop severe inferiority complexes as a result. Jan has come to be something of a figurehead for what experts have deemed " middle child syndrome."Īs the theory goes, middle children are forever fated to be ignored in favor of the accomplished, mature firstborns and cute, needy lastborns. Those immortal words were of course uttered by The Brady Bunch's middle daughter, Jan, in a moment of frustration that her big sister Marcia always seemed to get more attention and admiration than her.
If there was a "Battle Hymn of the Middle Child," it would undoubtedly be "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"
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