Middle children are commonly described as the challenged and neglected ones. Unlike my overachieving older sister and my super pampered younger brother, I grew up learning things on my own. Yes, I am one of the in-betweeners. I am one of those whose childhood memories are filled with the hand me downs from my older sibling and the constant fights with my younger brother.
Being a middle child is a difficult path that I have to take. We are born with a negative reputation ahead of us. We are labeled as the underachievers, the suffer-in-silence types and the attention seekers. But in reality, the benefits that we get from our birth order surpass all the negative predictions about us. Here are the 10 secrets why middle children slam adulthood better than the others.
The Middle Child Is the Best Negotiator
One of the great characteristics of middle children is that they are great negotiators. Since they grow up not getting things in the way they like, they adjust and learn the art of manipulation. They become more patient and open minded in a way that they see all areas of argument. These give them an edge and a better position when it comes to compromising and laying out their cards on the table.
They Value Justice and Fairness
Fairness and justice are among the virtues that middle children value when they grow up. They learn their importance as they often feel neglected or overshadowed in the family. These values lead them to becoming more sensitive to others who are in great need and to fight for those who are being left out and disadvantaged.
They Are Resilient
Most middle children are stronger than their siblings. They become more resilient whenever they get through the unfair judgment calls of their parents. They become stronger every time they survive the bullying of their older sibling. Learning how to shrug off the daily sibling troubles at home is important since this will help them easily deal with stresses and pressures in the future.
Middle Kids Are Great Leaders and Team Players
Middle children are great chameleons. They can easily adjust to any situations that they are in since they have mastered the art of being unseen. They are mostly the ones who grow up with friends from various walks of life as their experiences at home helped them become more flexible and fun to spend time with.
They Are Determined and Driven
In contrary to the perception that middle children are happy-go-lucky and undriven, in reality they are more determined and focused than their other siblings. This is because during their childhood, they were always put in a position where they were forced to do everything that they could just to get the attention of the people around them. They become more resourceful and are not easily disheartened in case they face big obstacles in life.
They Are the Best When It Comes to Sharing
“Hand me downs” is a great part of a middle child’s life. In many cases, middle children get less new clothes, toys and other stuff than their siblings. This situation teaches them to value sharing in the family. Moreover, they learn to not give more attention to the material things that they have and instead appreciate the blessings that they will get when they share their resources to their loved ones.
Middle Children Are Creative and Adventurous
Middle children usually get less attention in the family than the first-borns and the youngest ones. Since they are known to be resilient, they turn this situation into their advantage and use it to explore and enhance their creativity. Instead of using their efforts to get the limelight from their siblings, the middle child spends time on his own and develops innovative and creative ways to entertain himself.
They Depend on Themselves to Succeed
Some parents are having difficulties giving equal attention to all of their children. When this happens, it is mostly the middle kids who grow up to be independent since they are left alone to take care of themselves. This gives them the opportunity to discover and maximize their inner strengths and at the same time improve their weaknesses, which are the keys to their future success.
Middle Children Have the Best Decision Making Skills
Whenever the older and younger siblings can’t compromise and agree on the best decision for the three of them, it is the middle child who does the logical thinking and becomes the deciding vote. This hones his analytical and decision making skills which will give him an edge over the others as he grows up.
They Manage their Money Well
Many middle kids succeed in life because they have a practical training on money management. Unlike their siblings, middle kids are aware that they have limited access to their parents’ money. With this realization, they will learn how to maximize the resources available to them and master the concepts of budgeting and deferred gratification at a young age.
