Cerritos College
Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

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You’re not dramatic, you just have middle-child syndrome

Middle+child
MegTegal
Russian Nesting dolls used to represent the middle child by putting the one in the middle right in the spot light.

Being the middle child, I have two older and two younger sisters and as much as I love them all, they annoy me.

Growing up as a middle child is a very strange experience and it’s almost hard to explain to someone who isn’t a middle child.

Middle child syndrome is described as “…the belief that middle children are excluded, ignored, or even outright neglected because of their birth order.”

Being the middle child is like unwillingly signing up to be an under-appreciated maid.

I’m sure many of you who are middle children have heard, “You’re so lazy, you never want to help out around the house” after you literally just finished cleaning.

For some reason when we clean, it’s not good enough?

I don’t know what that’s about and we are also the most forgotten child. Even if your family says you’re not, I’m sorry but we just are naturally and that’s okay.

The firstborn gets all the attention since they were the firstborn right?

The baby gets all the attention since they’re the new baby of the house and the middle child, well we’re kind of there just minding our business.

Being the middle child, yes you are constantly getting forgotten and then getting told you’re being dramatic for getting upset. I have also noticed that the middle child always gets labeled as an “asshole.”

Your family might even talk over you from time to time; which makes your blood boil until they let you speak of course, then they wonder why we’re assholes.

Since we already feel like no one is paying attention we rather keep to ourselves and be alone.

Compared with all the other siblings “their personality may be dulled down by their siblings, making them quiet and even-tempered.”

Like geez sorry for being able to express my emotions.

From personal experience, there have been numerous occasions where I go out with all my family and we’ll have an amazing time.

We’ll maybe even take pictures of the event, and then when weeks or even months pass by and my family will reminisce about said event.

They’ll describe the whole event to me as if I wasn’t there at all.

I’ll let them tell their story and maybe even nod here and there.

As soon as they finish telling me the story I hit them with my favorite line “I know I was there, do you need me to make a scene next time so you can remember me?” followed by my blank stare.

My older sister without a doubt will ask me “you were there?!” and we’ll just laugh about it. Although sometimes getting forgotten does get extremely annoying. It’s not all that bad.

Being an adult with middle child syndrome, you come to the sense that you actually don’t mind being the middle child and as you grow into an adult, you realize you truly enjoy your peace.

More than anything you realize you actually love being alone and you just hate getting ignored.

Seriously though you realize you are the glue that holds up the family.

Growing up with middle child syndrome can be difficult for a child.

You should always validate the child’s feelings because, “A middle child will feel less alone if he knows you accept his emotions and he can talk about them.”

Many children struggle with being timid or becoming too isolated.

If you are not a middle child and have a sibling who is just remind them and show them how much you appreciate them.

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About the Contributor
Diana Morales, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Diana Morales plans on transferring to a cal state in the near future to gain more experience. Her goal as a journalist is to work for a fashion magazine company and then eventually create her own. She also aspires on working on the radio or as a social media manager.
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You’re not dramatic, you just have middle-child syndrome