If you grew up sandwiched between a few siblings, you've probably heard of "middle child syndrome" . . . or have even suspected one of your own kids of having it.
But is your child really doomed if she's stuck between two other siblings?
Some psychologists would say so. According to the book You're a Better Parent Than You Think, middle children are often in limbo since they don't get the undivided attention like the oldest kid and they're not the youngest, either. Dr. Ray Guarendi says children with both older and younger siblings have "feelings of isolation, of not belonging." The author goes on: "[They don't get to] enjoy the parental attention and expectations given to the eldest, nor the relaxed parental standards experienced by the youngest. The middle child is supposedly lost in the shuffle, caught in between with no unique position of his own."
But because this hasn't actually been studied using a controlled, scientific method, there's no confirmed proof that a child's behavior can be explained by birth order.
Although middle children definitely exhibit certain traits thanks to when they were brought into this world, there isn't a hard and fast rule for how that affects their personalities.
