Sophomore Jaylon Smith is one of three children. She has an older brother and a younger brother. She’s in the middle, and Smith says that it isn’t always easy.
“Sometimes I feel like my older sibling and younger sibling get the most attention,” Smith said.
This feeling is apparently not uncommon among middle children, many of whom feel a bit ignored.
In one 1998 study, Dr. Catherine Salmon, a psychology professor at the University of Redlands in California, and a colleague found that middle children were less close to their parents than older and younger siblings.
In one part of the research, middle children were asked who in their family they would turn to for help — parents or siblings. While first and last-born children opted for a parent, the middle children generally chose their brothers or sisters.
Middle children were also more likely to view their friends as their main resources. Salmon said this means that they have good social skills.
“I will say I am the most outgoing sibling,” middle child and CSU senior Jewel Rollins said.
Other studies suggest that middle children suffer from low self esteem, experience frustration, seek attention, and exhibit over the top behavior. “I can honestly say I seek a lot of attention more than any of my siblings,” freshman Mya Watkins said.
Although “middle child syndrome” has its negative aspects, Salmon said that there are some positive ones as well. Middle children are often the best negotiators. They are flexible and more capable than their siblings.