Growing up with siblings guaranteed “built-in-friends” in the sense that even when there was no one else to play with you, there would always be a sibling. Even though they saw you at your worst moments, they still had to be your family and put up with it. Of course being the middle child was a special position that not everyone realizes is there. Middle children have the privilege of having older siblings to look up to, younger siblings to look out for and parents who sometimes forget they’re there.
Parents should not be blamed for this fault, they’ve had a lot to deal with, their first child test run that wiped them out and now the baby who seems to need an extra amount of attention, so naturally the calm, the independent middle child sometimes gets forgotten in all the madness. Although growing up it feels like everyone either forgets about you or is never on your side. There are bright sides to being invisible, you can get away with things that your siblings couldn’t. Somehow you’re the glue that holds everyone together, you get to hear both sides of every story, making you more understanding and calm in situations of chaos and panic. Realizing when situations are unfair and making an effort to hear everyone’s point of view. Without middle children, there would be no peacemakers.
Middle children are in a league of their own, not always getting what they want, they end up not being spoiled. Knowing that if they want attention they’re going to have to find it in unusual places, and they have the ability to connect with people of different ages and backgrounds. They are fantastic listeners because they’re the ones listening to their parents complain about everyone else. Silent helpers, they can do a lot of good, and no one would know it was them, the gratitude would most likely go to the older siblings.
Being in the middle means they know how to stand on their own, because when they’re forgotten or overlooked, they know it’s not a big deal and can handle it. It’s not always fair and yes they wish it was different sometimes, to just be acknowledged every once in a while for the things they do that no one sees. But in the end, they wouldn’t change it because being in the middle is like having a superpower and that is truly the best of being stuck in the middle.
