Sure, we’ve all heard of “middle-child syndrome” and how hard it can be for middle kids to find their niche in the family when they’re sandwiched between the over-achieving first born and the over-babied baby. But it’s Middle Child Day, and even though middle children do have it rough, we’re celebrating some of the perks that come with the middle child territory (the frosting between the Oreo cookies of siblings, if you will):
1. You are born into an all-kids world.
When your oldest sibling was born, he lived in an adult-furnished house with adult talk and adult dinner parties. There was glassware, china and wine still living in cabinets less than three feet off the floor. Middle child, you didn’t have to deal with any of that crap. By the time you came out, the kitchen was all brightly colored plasticware; the wine cabinets had already been converted to toddler shoe cubbies; and the TV was already comfortable in its constant stream of “Bubble Guppies.” “This is a kid’s house!” your older sibling proclaimed until your parents finally got the point. Yes, it is. And now every square inch is covered in toys, and you go to kids’ birthday parties every weekend—as it should be.
2. Your parents made all their mistakes on the first kid.
Seriously. You don’t have to worry about your mom trying the cry-it-out method…then caving…then cosleeping, until you kick her out of her own bed and take over said comfy California king for all of eternity. No, middle child, all of that’s already been established before you. You get the spoils, and you didn’t have to go into battle. Get it? Yes, it’s awesome.
3. You don’t have to care.
No one cares about your opinion, and that’s awesome. When the grandparents come to visit, they’re there to see all of you (you and the other siblings). And, unlike first child’s babyhood, you will never have to deal with four adults staring at you, making goo-goo eyes and asking what you want for lunch. Nope, you’ll be totally content to wipe stray applesauce dollops from younger sibling’s tray before moving on to scavenge for peanut butter and jelly leftovers on older sibling’s plate. You told the adults earlier that you wanted turkey and cheese for lunch, but nobody heard you. And you don’t even care.
4. You are always part of a group.
Yep, you’re always surrounded by others. It really comes in handy when you did something naughty, because chances are, mom will never be able to figure out whose little paws decided to finger-paint the bathtub with her hot pink nail polish or unload that brand-new, family-size bag of Cheerios on the kitchen floor. You and your siblings are a gang that can’t be separated, like a pride of lions or a pack of wild hyenas, depending on the situation.
A New World Christian Learning Centers and Preschool 