As we contemplate Baby #3, I have been thinking more and more about the "middle child syndrome" or is it a syndrome that I'm making up? Is there any truth to birth order theories? I've heard from friends who are middle children or have middle children in their family and there seems to be a concern for middle children. Do they fit anywhere? They aren't the oldest so they don't get to be the "first" and they aren't the youngest, so they aren't babied and when they were babied, they don't have any recollection. They want to be noticed for who they are and not compared to their siblings. Yet, it seems they get lost...well, in the middle.
I worry about this because we will be possibly making Baby #2, my beautiful daughter, the middle kid. I love Buggy's personality! She's fun, feisty, sweet, mischievous, and perfect just the way she is. I don't want to give her a complex because she's become the middle child.
Now of course I'm speaking to this with absolutely no personal point of reference. Like I said, I'm the oldest of two. My husband says he doesn't know what I'm talking about. But somebody out there does! I told Hubby that if we try for Baby #3, then we absolutely have to try for Baby #4 so there are no middle children...I'm even willing to try for #5 because I feel that even if there is a middle with 5, there would be enough kids to balance it out.
So what do you think? Am I making this up? What is your experience with middle children? Any ideas on how to make the transition smooth for my little girl when the time comes? I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this, whether you are a middle child, have a sibling that's a middle child, or have middle children. What are you experiences and thoughts?
I'm the oldest, and my husband is the oldest, which makes our oldest the firstborn of two firstborns...and she's sufficiently neurotic to carry that title!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I've never worried too much about how birth order affects our kids, although our oldest middle child definitely has a middle child personality. (The youngest middle child is still convinced the world revolves around her and seems unaffected).
That said, there are things I love about the middle child personality...she is sensitive and sweet. She is a caregiver. She's also hysterically funny, and I think she'll end up being our class clown.
In the end, I think the world needs middle children to go 'round just as much as it needs us firstborns and the babies!