August 12th is National Middle child Day in America dedicated to recognizing the sibling in the middle. It is a special day to highlight the children who often get lost in the family mix while the youngest pigs all the attention and the eldest bears all the responsibility.
Elizabeth Walker began the day in the 1980s because she thought the middle children were being “excluded.”
When people talk about the plight of these children, they often mention Middle Child Syndromewhich, according to some, causes children who are caught in the middle to become rebellious or hold grudges. However, at Upworthy, we like to look on the bright side and have therefore created a list of the 7 traits that make middle children great.
1. They are good children
Studies show that historically, middle children are the best behaved. A study in 1964 And another in 2009 found that middle children were least likely to have an outburst.
2. They are wonderful team players
Middle children are the right choice if you want to build a team, whether on the field or in the office. “They become more independent, think outside the box, feel less pressure to conform, and are more empathetic,” said Katrin Schumann, author of “The Secret Power of Middle Children,” Psychology today. “This gives them great skills as employees and also makes them excellent team players and partners.”
3. You are successful
Schumann also says that middle children are more successful than their older and younger siblings. She notes that at least 52% of U.S. presidents middle childrenas well as Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Jennifer Lopez, Princess Diana and Michael Jordan.
“When they realize how many useful skills they have developed through their time at the center, they are empowered in ways that positively impact their lives,” Schumann said, according to Business Insider. The expert claims that middle children are successful because they have had to compete for attention and are not used to giving up what they want.”
4. They are great negotiators
Middle children need to develop excellent negotiation skills because they have a power disadvantage at home. “As middle children grow up, they don’t get their way because they’re the biggest, and they don’t get their way because they’re the baby who got spoiled,” said Dr. Catherine Salmon. CBS News.
5. They are modest
Middle children have to learn humility the hard way because their birth order makes them the least important in the group. But even though it is a hard lesson, the benefits are great. “Humility can produce greater happiness, positive emotions, and well-being because a person has a clearer understanding of the self,” Tiara BLain writes in a PsyD peer-reviewed article for Very good“You can be comfortable with who you are and who you are not.”
6. You are creative
Middle children may also be more creative because they “try to be different from their older and younger siblings,” Michele Borba, Ed.D., writes. Because the oldest and youngest children are naturally the standouts, the middle child may have to work a little harder to get attention for his or her creativity and therefore put in more effort himself or herself.
7. You are likeable
Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, says middle children may be more “sociable” and “easy-going” than their siblings. “They are also more extroverted,” She writes. “They don’t have to lead the herd and aren’t pampered like their younger siblings. This gives them a little more freedom to be themselves.”
Ultimately, we’re all individuals, so not all middle children develop these traits. But it’s nice to take a moment and praise those kids who may have felt a little neglected in their childhood by telling them that they, too, are special.
Just not as special as Marsha. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”
