Middle Children of the world, unite!

[Anonymous]

My fellow middle kids, the time has come to file our grievances. What injustices did you experience as the middle child of the family?

Were you always expected to be the grateful recipient of hand me downs, but once you got done with them, your parents bought new for the youngest because the clothes were "all worn out"? Did your parents forget you at a rest stop on vacation once? Were you treated as “one of the big kids” in terms of responsibilities, but then also treated as “one of the too youngins’” when it came to doing fun stuff?

No detail is too petty to share, no complaint shall go unnoticed. We are all middle children here!

[Anonymous]

My parents got a car for my sister when she was in high school, which seemed fair enough as she drove me around. It was a piece of junk that they sold when she went to college.

No car for me. I had to get rides from swim team members and friends, which was "good for teaching me responsibility and making friends" (I didn't need to make friends, I had them.)

Then they bought a car for my younger brother, who somehow did not need to learn responsibility or make friends (he really could have used some social skills and responsibility skills), and he had no other siblings left in the house to drive around. He skipped class a ton and skipped swim practice to go eat breakfast at McDonald's, but got to keep the car.

[Anonymous]

I’m a middle child and have zero of the typical middle child grievances. I was the only one of my gender so that might have impacted it.

[Anonymous]

I feel that it has always been my job to have no problems and to take care of myself. I am sandwiched between two brothers who always have major issues and have since we were kids (behavioral concerns, academic problems, mental health, substance abuse), plus an older sister who has always been the golden child and the favorite. For most of my childhood (and adulthood, with regards to my family) I've felt like an afterthought, if I'm thought about at all. On the rare occasion I've asked my family for support or help, it is met with either resentment, the explanation that someone else's needs are greater, or "best of luck to you."

The main attention I got as a child was to be teased for being bookish, not athletic, or having too few friends.

[Anonymous]

As the youngest there is nothing I enjoy more than getting my older brother to help me gang up on the middle sister in our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the youngest there is nothing I enjoy more than getting my older brother to help me gang up on the middle sister in our family.

This thread is for middle children. Start your own thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle child and have zero of the typical middle child grievances. I was the only one of my gender so that might have impacted it.

It absolutely does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the youngest there is nothing I enjoy more than getting my older brother to help me gang up on the middle sister in our family.

We've noticed. We think you're a spoiled ahole and our older brother is a bit of a sadist. Thanks for bothering to acknowledge our existence, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Middle of 7 here. There are precious few pictures of me as a baby and child. No new clothes for me, even though I was tiny for my age until 16 (probably due to being ignored). Never had seconds at dinner ever. Never instructed in how to do something, only told to do it (figure it out). I could go on, but no one is still reading, probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle of 7 here. There are precious few pictures of me as a baby and child. No new clothes for me, even though I was tiny for my age until 16 (probably due to being ignored). Never had seconds at dinner ever. Never instructed in how to do something, only told to do it (figure it out). I could go on, but no one is still reading, probably.

Same, especially on the pictures! I had birthdays that went unacknowledged except in passing (no cake, no party) because my siblings had events or other things going on. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was almost 10 because no one taught me and I didn't have a bike. I got made fun of a lot for not knowing how to do things my older siblings could do, but I never got the instruction or help they did. I was actually a great student and successful at multiple extra-curriculars, but my academics were taken for granted and my ECs viewed as an inconvenience. I had to drop activities because they didn't work with the family's schedule, though my siblings have no recollection of this ever happening to them.

[Anonymous]

Second of four and the only girl and my older brother is super smart and 14 months older. Spent my entire school career with teachers telling me what a genius he was, how he was such a pleasure in class. Sophomore year in high school the English teacher asked him to come in to film a speech he made the year before to show to my class b/c it was such a masterpiece. It was humiliating watching it. The honors biology teacher freshman year asked me why I was in regular level science.

It was not great. I was so upset when he got into the college I really wanted to go to and decided to go, but then still went and graduated with a higher GPA. It's so stupid (who cares about GPA) but at the time I felt a sense of redemption. I was actually not as dumb as everyone led me to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Second of four and the only girl and my older brother is super smart and 14 months older. Spent my entire school career with teachers telling me what a genius he was, how he was such a pleasure in class. Sophomore year in high school the English teacher asked him to come in to film a speech he made the year before to show to my class b/c it was such a masterpiece. It was humiliating watching it. The honors biology teacher freshman year asked me why I was in regular level science.

It was not great. I was so upset when he got into the college I really wanted to go to and decided to go, but then still went and graduated with a higher GPA. It's so stupid (who cares about GPA) but at the time I felt a sense of redemption. I was actually not as dumb as everyone led me to believe.

Your post made me remember a mistreated middle child classmate. The teacher asked him (several times) whether his brother inherited all the brains in the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second of four and the only girl and my older brother is super smart and 14 months older. Spent my entire school career with teachers telling me what a genius he was, how he was such a pleasure in class. Sophomore year in high school the English teacher asked him to come in to film a speech he made the year before to show to my class b/c it was such a masterpiece. It was humiliating watching it. The honors biology teacher freshman year asked me why I was in regular level science.

It was not great. I was so upset when he got into the college I really wanted to go to and decided to go, but then still went and graduated with a higher GPA. It's so stupid (who cares about GPA) but at the time I felt a sense of redemption. I was actually not as dumb as everyone led me to believe.

Your post made me remember a mistreated middle child classmate. The teacher asked him (several times) whether his brother inherited all the brains in the family.

PP here - in retrospect it was kind of insane because I am smart, but did not think I was smart until I got out of my house. My parents would say he was the smart one and I was the social one, and read his glowing college recommendation from his French teacher out loud at the dinner table.

Also once they gave me the car to drive to musical practice and then told him he could take it and go to the mall with his friends. Apparently he was supposed to tell me but I walked out of the auditorium and the car was gone and I was pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle child and have zero of the typical middle child grievances. I was the only one of my gender so that might have impacted it.

It absolutely does.

Yes, my middle-child brother was the first boy born on our mother’s side for two generations. He could do no wrong. On the flip side, he felt a lot of pressure to perfect.

[Anonymous]

Mom often forgot to pick me up from school. I made up a song I’d sing to keep me company until she remembered. Older sister was always in trouble trying to grow up too fast. Younger brother is the baby and had his share of trouble. I was well behaved, never in trouble, and great grades. I even made it into our local newspaper twice. Still, my parents hands were full with my sibling’s drama so I largely went unnoticed. Even now, you can see the glow in my parent’s eyes when my sister comes over. They just have a special bond. My siblings live closer to my parents now (I moved away) so they see their kids more often. Therefore my parents now have a special bond with my sibling’s kids that my kids won’t have. It is what it is.