The best five years of my life were when I was the youngest.

My whole world came crashing down when my little sister was born. Young, naive five-year-old me had no idea just how different my life was about to become when I went from the youngest, to the middle child.

There's theories about middle children, "middle child syndrome" they call it. And they've got to be onto something, we've got to be special or interesting or something.... There's a whole show about this phenomenon - Malcom in the Middle!!!! Although we don't feel very special because that spot has been reserved for the perfect first born and the precious baby sibling.

Middle Child Syndrome is the least of a middle child's worries. If you're in the middle, here's somethings only middle children can understand:

1. Since you're not the oldest, and you're not the youngest, you're often "the forgotten."

Because you're too young to do the things your older siblings doing, and too old to do the things your younger siblings doing

2. If sharing a room had to be a thing in your house, you were the one that had to do the sharing.

So you also understand the lack of boundaries that come with sharing a room

3. Hand me downs reached you, but often didn't go past you.

(probably because you ruined them, or they were out of style by the time you were done with them.)

4. Your clothes fit your older siblings and your younger siblings.

There was a constant battle over whether those jeans were actually yours.

5. Independence is something you were forced to learn early on.

While your parents were busy worrying about your older siblings learning to drive, or applying to college while chasing around your younger sibling, you took your matters into your own hands.

6. The importance of sharing was also an early lesson.

Clothes, toys, you name it, you shared it.

7. You got away with a lot more.

Sometimes the lack of attention was a good thing when ignoring curfews or failing tests.

8. You did some weird things for attention.

Like trying to fit your whole fist in your mouth or cutting your own bangs.

9. You're often the butt of the jokes.

I don't know what it is about being a middle child that also screams "make fun of me!!"

10. You've had to fight for the spotlight.

(And typically lost) because you may have just gotten a 100 on an exam, but your older sister got a 101 once and your younger sibling just took the training wheels off their bike.

11. Some how you've become the mediator of fights.

Even when for once, you're not in on the fight, you're the one who has to break up your siblings fights.

12. As much as you complain about them, you wouldn't trade your siblings for the world.

There's a saying, "if you don't understand how you could want to strangle someone and love them at the same time, you're probably an only child." and ain't that the truth.