6 Reasons Growing Up a Middle Child Gave Me the Best of Both Worlds

Published on April 3, 2020 at 1:00 PM

James Barrett

Family dynamics define your upbringing — the good, the bad, and everything in between. The oldest sibling is "the responsible one," and the youngest is "the baby," but where does that leave the middle child? Middle children grow up label-free in a way, being able to forge a path of their own or fall into the shadow of their older sibling. I grew up with an older sister and a younger brother. I always had someone to play with growing up, but with that, never had any privacy. Of course we argued, but grudges wouldn't last until the next morning. Even as adults, the unofficial rules haven't changed, but instead of going to play outside, we're going to karaoke night at the local bar. Here's why growing up a middle child gave me the best of both worlds.

I Never Had to Worry About Being Alone

As a middle child, being bored was never an option. We didn't have friends over as much because my siblings and I always had each other. I'm less than two years apart from my older sister and younger brother, so I always had someone (if not both) to play with or simply watch TV with. We're all pretty competitive, and we'd play sports like soccer and tennis outside on summer nights until it got too dark out, usually ending in a fight . . . but all in good fun.

I Wasn't the Guinea Pig

Everything with the firstborn is a test as your parents learn to navigate their new journey of parenthood. Some things will work out great, and others are a lesson (like when my older sister gave herself a haircut). I'm not saying the middle child is perfect, but we learn from our older siblings as they lead the path we'll find ourselves on. Applying to colleges was less scary because I already had someone go through the process; I knew what to look out for and what to avoid.

I Was Closer to My Grandma

When we left for the day's adventure, my dad had my older sister, my mom had my younger brother, and my grandma had me. My siblings and I adored my grandparents. Until I was in kindergarten, we lived a floor above my grandparents in a multifamily house, so while my parents were busy with my other siblings, I was hers — and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I Was Protective Over My Younger Sibling, but Had Someone to Protect Me

The unofficial rule of siblings is to always be protective over your younger siblings. I was protective over my little brother growing up, but as a middle child, my sister was always protective of me. It's the type of relationship where even if you've been arguing all day, you're still going to have each other's backs. That's what family does. Even now that we're older, I'll always be protective over both of my siblings and my nephew.

I Always Shared a Room

The flip side of never being bored? Never having any privacy. I never had my own room, from sharing one with my sister when I was a toddler to sharing one with my brother as we got older. Even without privacy, I liked sharing a room. We had our cliché bunk beds, hung blankets over the top to make forts, and always woke each other up in the morning.

I Could Get Away With Things

Growing up, I was well behaved and followed the rules, but when I wanted to it was pretty easy to get away with (harmless) things. With my two other siblings to take the attention away (and sometimes to take the blame), I could get away with anything from not doing chores to even sneaking out at night.