There are so many things that identify us, so many categories we can classify ourselves in and so many ways we can be contradictions. Sometimes, there are categories we fit into that shape us into the people we are meant to become. These category can be “sporty,” or “girly,” but thats just on the low end of the categorical spectrum.
Some of us have siblings, and depending on when you were born, those siblings help you to fit into yet another category. And this category is often what decides how our life experiences fall into place. For some of us this means being the eldest or the youngest of all our siblings. For the rest of us, not being the eldest or the youngest makes us middle children. And, although that means something different for everyone, we all know that there are ups and downs. And here are just a few.
PRO: You’re not the first kid, so you’re parents have gotten the hang of things at this point. Which means, less diaper rash, less forgotten appointments and you’re always on time to everything.
CON: You really can’t get away with anything! So don’t try to put anything in your sister's bed or flush the toilet while your sibling's in the shower, because odds are you will not be leaving your room for a while.
PRO: You are probably always dressed really nicely. Which means that they have a lot of nice stuff to put you in. Some of it might even be brand name or expensive.
CON: Most of your stuff is hand-me-down stuff. Sure it's nice, but it's nice because when it was just your older sibling, your parents could afford that kind of stuff. When you’re a kid, this really isn't a big deal, your GAP sweatshirt was super comfy and that dress with all the frillies looked really good at Christmas, but as you get older it becomes a problem. Times change, and what was for middle school in the early 2000’s isn’t OK about 10 years later.
PRO: You get to make a Christmas list and a birthday list. And often you get a lot of things on your list. And sometimes, so does your little sibling, but, hey, at least you get it.
CON: Making a list means that your parents can never remember what you're into anymore. It’s OK in the end, but you get a little bummed sometimes. You know you're parents care, but being a middle child means your parents have at least three kids, so you also know they are crazy busy.
PRO: You get to participate in a lot of activities. In my lifetime, I have gotten to play basketball, cheer, dance, play field hockey, participate in Girl Scouts and many other things. If it was good for my big sister, it could easily be a good fit for me. Even if I didn’t stick with some of them, I was thankful to get to participate.
CON: If you try something new, your younger sibling is most definitely trying it, too. The plan was to do something they haven’t done before, and then you're setting an example for them in which they want what you enjoy. Because it looks so fun when you’re doing it. And it is…so who can blame them?
PRO: Sometimes, you get presents on your siblings' birthdays. This is only the case when your parent wants to buy you all iPods or something like this, and their birthday is the best time. This has only every happened once for me, but I have middle children friends that say this happens every couple of years.
CON: Your siblings always get better presents than you. Birthday or Christmas, or whatever you celebrate, it's always the same. To say I don’t always love my present is not true, because I do. But it's super easy to be a jealous middle sibling when you try to get what you want on a budget and your younger sibling, or older sibling, asks for something twice the price, and they get it.
It has always been easy to be bitter, but in the long run, you learn how to manage your time and how to rely on others. Being a middle child means learning to understand and learning to be flexible. Sometimes, activities conflict and you need to find a way to make everything work. Often the middle child is the one to make the sacrifice. As someone who has learned to squeeze the most into the times between my sibling's activities, I know that I have gotten a lot out of what has been given to me.
