1. When you realize that the oldest child made the rules, the youngest child doesn’t have any rules, and the middle child is the only child the rules are enforced on
Your parents didn't really know what they were doing with the first kid, and by the third kid they relaxed enough for the rules to be more like guidelines. So the middle child was the one lucky kid that had to follow all the rules.
2. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia…” Great joke, haven’t heard that one before – the Brady Bunch only ended 41 years ago...
Every time you mention something about your other siblings having special treatment, someone cracks this killer joke. Whoever wrote in Jan's character was catering to the first children of the world (typical) and had no idea how traumatizing this line would be for middle children everywhere.
3. Understanding that everyone expects you to be rebellious so even when you’re not actually doing anything wrong, you still might get in trouble
Sometimes the first and last children act out *gasp*, but it's rare that they get in real trouble because luckily for them, there is a red-headed middle child to blame.
4. Being pissed about something only for someone to tell you that you’re being dramatic *cue middle child comment/joke*
Refer to number two.
5. Oldest child is the first baby, youngest child is the actual baby… middle child is just there :-)
The first child that your parents have will always hold a special place in their hearts, because he/she was their first baby ever. The last child also holds a special place in their hearts because he/she is their last baby ever. Apparently second baby ever doesn't have the same ring to it.
6. Never being the first or last to do anything.
Things like your high school graduation, first time moving out, etc, are not nearly as special because your family has lived through it once and will have to live through it again.
7. Blaming all your jealousy and attention-craving issues on MCS (middle child syndrome, obviously).
Middle child syndrome is very real - you've been warned.
8. When the order of your siblings is girl, girl, boy… your sister is special because she was the first girl (and first baby ever), your brother is special because he’s the youngest and the only boy, and you’re just (not so) patiently waiting for the day that they all realize you’re the most perfect of all because you’re the middle child.
Same problem for boy, boy, girl. Life would be a bit easier if you were at least the only girl/boy in the family, but nope. Someone beat you to that too.
9. Wondering how your parents are able to simultaneously notice every sneaky move you make while ignoring you… it’s a special talent, really.
As a middle child, your life becomes a delicate balance of fighting for your parents' attention and trying to stay under the radar. How do they do it? The world may never know. But it's certainly interesting to notice how they hear you the first time you say you failed an exam, but you have to tell them about your new crush 17 times before they hear you.
10. But at the end of the day, you’re the only one who has an older sibling to look up to and a younger sibling to boss around, so who’s really the winner?
You can keep your first child responsibilities and your last child vulnerabilities - I'm a badass and I'll keep that.
