Some experts believe that one’s birth order affects their personality or plays a role in their development. If this applies to you or someone you know, you might have middle-child syndrome.
According to WebMD, experts see middle-child syndrome as the idea that if you are not the oldest or youngest sibling, you might get less attention from your parents and feel ‘caught in the middle.’ This may result in the person taking on certain personality traits different to their older and younger siblings.
Although it is not recognised as an official condition, some researchers who believe in middle-child syndrome have trouble applying it to actual middle children.
However, there are a few common personality traits a middle child might possess. Below is a list provided by WebMD.
- Sociable: The person may be good at mediating and wants fairness in situations. They are also less likely to act out against their parents.
- Mobile: They are often the first sibling to move out of the house and are more likely to move the farthest away. This stems from feeling misunderstood by their parents.
- Rebellious: Although they are less religious than their siblings and parents, they are still less likely to act out against their parents.
- Not perfectionists: The person tends to take up something that their older sibling is not so great at doing.
- Feeling overshadowed: The person may come to the conclusion that their parents do not care about them, and, as an adult, may have a negative view of their childhood.
Also see: 7 Signs you suffer from low self-esteem
