Hence, oldest and youngest children may still experience middle child syndrome despite having a “favourable” birth order. Parents of middle-born children of the favoured gender may prioritise their well-being and bond more with them. Parents may spend more time watching over this child and lavish them with more affection.įurthermore, in some cultures, children of specific genders are more favoured. This can be due to a medical or psychological condition. In some families, the middle-born child may require more care. Even though they stereotypically receive ample attention from parents, this may not always be true. These children may experience neglect and less meaningful relationships with their parents in certain situations. In some circumstances, oldest or youngest children may also undergo such experiences. However, this applies when the family environment and dynamics facilitate the impression that middle-born children are less valued. Not all middle-born children feel neglected and overlooked, as middle child syndrome suggests. An individual can be a middle-born child and have completely different relationships with their family members and encounters in their lives. Middle child syndrome can be a real thing in family dynamics and environments that perpetuate it.Īs discussed above, birth order is not the sole factor determining a child’s experiences and personality. These show that birth order is not always an important predictor of a child’s development.Īs much as we acknowledge the relevance of this theory in particular family situations, it is crucial that we apply it with consideration. Similarly, Rohrer, Egloff and Schmukle (2015) found that personality traits are not significantly associated with birth order. As a result, they could grow up to be independent and dominant.īotzet, Rohrer and Arslan (2020) concurred that birth order had nonsignificant impact on children’s intelligence, personality traits and aversion to risk. Parents may give them more responsibilities and hold them to higher expectations when there is a large age gap between the middle-born child and the younger siblings. For instance, a middle-born child who has older siblings can also develop stereotypical traits of an oldest child. Psychological birth order refers to the experiences and interactions that shapes a child’s personality and mindset. McGowen and Beck (2009) argued that psychological birth order has more influence over a child’s personality than biological birth order. Age differences, gender, and socio-economic status (Lemire, 2001) all influence personality development. Birth order cannot account for all the individual differences between siblings. In fact, they may feel constant competition with their oldest and youngest siblings.ĭoes this mean that being born into our families in a specific order defines our personality and experiences? Not necessarily. As such, middle-born children can feel more distant from their family and are less likely to turn to them in times of crisis. Middle-born children generally grow up with less one-on-one interaction with their parents ( Passey, 2012). They develop more complex social skills and tend to more sociable than their siblings. As a result, youngest children tend to have close relationships with their parents.
Conversely, parents tend to spend quality one-on-one time with the youngest child at an early age ( Passey, 2012). Consequently, the oldest child likely becomes more achievement driven to gain their parents’ favour. They receive more cautious attention and strive to meet their parents’ standards. Typically, parents experience high levels of stress and anxiety when raising their first-born child ( Passey, 2012). Middle-born children are generally more balanced in their views, with a tendency to play the mediator role in their families.Ĭhildren’s parenting experiences and parent-child relationships directly affect the above traits attached to their specific birth order. They also may feel pressured to outdo their older siblings. On the other hand, youngest children are perceived to be more pampered and prone to experience self-esteem issues. On one hand, first-born children are thought to be dominant, good leaders and have a higher need for achievement and social approval (Lemire, 2001). Adler (1964) proposed this theory and emphasised the need to consider family dynamics as an influence over children’s personalities. The birth order theory states that the sequence in which we are born into our families affects our personalities.
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