See 6 Proven Benefits of Being the Middle-Born Child

Esther Crain

Middle-born kids have long been dogged by myths: They’re overshadowed by their older and younger siblings. They get the short end of the stick from their parents. They’re problem kids who have no unique talents.

However, here are the science-backed advantages of being born in the middle of the family lineup. “People have this perception that they’re quiet and bitter, overlooked by their parents,” Katrin Schumann, co-author of The Secret Power of Middle Children, says.

The fact is, while parents are fawning over their first-born, the baby of the family, middle children are actually developing character traits and skills that help propel them toward success when it comes to work and relationships for the rest of their lives, says Schumann.

No wonder so many middle-born children are at the top of their fields, such as Bill Gates, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and even Donald Trump.

Check out these six proven benefits of being the middle-born child:

1. Middle kids are well adjusted. They’re less likely to develop emotional or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), when compared to their older and younger siblings, according to a 2013 Spanish study.

2. They have top-notch negotiating skills. Because they grow up negotiating with their older and younger brothers and sisters, middle children are skilled at striking deals and coming to compromise, says Schumann.

3. They’re trailblazers and risk-takers. Parents tend to have firm expectations for their oldest and youngest children, says Schumann. Middle-born kids escape those constraints, so they feel free to try new things.

4. They’re creative. Often left to their own devices, “middle children develop exceptional problem-solving skills,” Paul Hokemeyer, JD and PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says. “They learn to think out of the box. The expansiveness of their thinking makes them wonderfully creative beings.”

5. They have big hearts. “Middle kids have lots of empathy; they know what it’s like to be the underdog,” says Schumann. Adds Hokemeyer: Because they are forced to exist in dynamic family systems where other children are given points just for their place in the birth order, middle children learn to listen and understand before taking action.”

6. They stick together. A 2009 study found that middle kids tend to marry or form close platonic friendships with other middle kids. “Middle kids also end up in the happiest marriages,” says Schumann.

What position are you in your family and what’s your take on these findings based on your experience?

Source: YahooParenting