Middle child syndrome

[anxioussister]

I’ve asked the internet and not found much - I’ve read and heard much about ‘middle child syndrome’ - but I’m really looking for data or literature about how to help safeguard middle child against the negatives of being the jam-in-the-parenting-sandwich.

can anyone recommend anything? Links? Books? Journals?

j’d really like to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support our magic middle kid - especially as we head into the years with them all at school

thank you!

Just treat all your dc as individuals and build self esteem in all of them.

No need to look for problems where there are none.

It's not a thing in my opinion, it depends on how you treat your children. Your middle child will not immediately feel left out as long as you care for them the same as the others. It's just some parents seem to favour their oldest child or their youngest child. Realistically, favouring a child due to the order of their birth is ridiculous.

So that’s the reason my brother and the middle child is such a screw up?!

Just treat them all as individuals and love/support them all equally and this isn’t a thing. You’re creating an issue when there really isn’t one.

It is one of these made up trends, like the language of love.

First answer nails it.

Treat the kids as individuals and don’t place birth order expectations on them eg don’t tell dc1 that they are oldest so need to set a good example. treat dc3 the same way that you treated dc1 at the same age and don’t baby them because they are the youngest.