Amazing World of Writing!!

Alexa DeAssis                                               802

                        Middle children aren’t usually average. Middle children show a different disposition; there’s usually something about them that makes them unique. They mostly suffer going through their childhood without getting attention, and watching their other siblings growing up and getting all the attention. This is not a very good thing. But, there are some good things to being a middle child. For one thing, parents usually go easier on the middle children. Secondly, middle children are older and younger siblings to someone else. They can get their older siblings into trouble; they can boss around their younger siblings. Also, they can learn from their older sibling’s mistakes and avoiding that, so their parents will appreciate them more. There are other pluses, but middle children are more known for their “middle child syndrome.” Middle child syndrome is real, and most middle children actually have it. Most middle children that face middle child syndrome become independent as adults. They also tend to be peace-makers; they like helping everyone get along together. They are also usually generous. But, they mostly keep to themselves, and are very secretive. These are just some of the traits of the average middle child.

                        Facing their lives with their families may also effect how they face their lives in school, or work. Most middle children have friends, but usually have a hard time being social. They usually don’t feel like they have a special place in their families, or even with their friends and acquaintances. With their friends, they’re usually very easy going and flexible. Whenever their friends are in a fight, the middle children agree with both points of view and try to make it better. Not all middle children are like this, but most have the same traits.

                        Interviewed students on the topic have shown different characteristics. Dominique Bynoe- Sullivan, of Class 802, says, “When my younger siblings were born, I felt like my parents were treating me differently. I felt unimportant. But, when they got older, I felt as if I got equal attention.” So, in her family, she gets the same amount of attention as her other siblings most of the time. Her younger siblings are a lot younger than she is. But, another interviewed student, who attends high school, feels differently. Robert Iodice, a student in Leon M. Goldstein High School, is also a middle child. His older and younger siblings are closer to his age. He said, “I sometimes feel forgotten. I feel my parents usually favor my older sibling, and protect my younger sibling. If I could, I think I’d rather be the oldest. That way, I can have some control over my younger siblings and won’t be forgotten.” He also feels his parent’s love is neglecting him. “My parents say they love me the same, but it usually shows that they don’t feel that way.” These quotes reveal that the outcome of middle child syndrome, and all of the traits and qualities of it, depends on the family the middle child is raised by.

                        Being a middle child is a hard thing to handle. But, there are ways to at least try to change your lives with your families. First of all, you can put yourself into every conversation or situation. Your siblings may think you’re a busy body, but you won’t be ignored or forgotten. Also, assert yourself. Don’t let your older siblings push you around, and don’t let your younger siblings get you in trouble. Show your parents that you do exist and that you deserve the same amount of attention as the rest of your siblings. Try not to do anything dangerous or serious, attention isn’t worth all that. Just stay true to yourself, and find someone to talk to that will listen. Every middle child in the world will never be first; but, they’ll never be last.