National Middle Child Day

History of National Middle Child Day

Let’s face it, being the middle child certainly has its disadvantages, right? The middle child has at least one older sibling, who gets to do everything first, who the middle child somehow has to live up to. But there is also at least one younger sibling, who gets all of the attention for being so cute and little. And there left is the middle child, struggling to find themselves without a clearly defined role.

While the complaints and experiences of middle children might be brushed off, it’s actually important that they are taken a bit more seriously. In fact, ‘Middle Child Syndrome’ is a recognized concept and studies about birth order in recent years show that it is believed to have an impact upon various personality traits.

Certain middle children might identify with some of these experiences: As the middle child, you’re not the leader, so you aren’t able to have things your own way. You’re also no longer the baby of the family, so you aren’t as protected. And you’re certainly not excused for bad behavior. It might seem like nothing ever really goes your way!

Well, not today, middle child friends! National Middle Child Day provides a well-deserved day to celebrate those special children who were neither the first-born or the last-born. Finally, a day where someone who was lost in the shuffle can get some attention and love, at the expense of your other siblings.

(If your parents remember…)

How to Celebrate National Middle Child Day

Just because this is about being in the middle, doesn’t mean there has to be anything average about this day! Have loads of fun celebrating National Middle Child Day with some of these ideas:

Pay Special Attention to the Middle Child

Parents with three or more children can certainly celebrate National Middle Child Day by taking stock of the ways that they can honor and show appreciation for their middle children. This might mean taking them on a special date with one of their parents or even something so simple as finding out what they would like to eat for dinner and then cooking that.

People who are already adults who have a middle child sibling or spouse can also celebrate National Middle Child Day by giving a bit of special attention to their favorite middle child. Show them some love with a card, a bouquet of flowers, some balloons or a little note to say that they are seen, even though they might sometimes feel invisible.

Watch Some Favorite TV Middle Children

Sitcoms and shows about families, starting in the 1950s, often included characters that were middle children. From Jan on the Brady Bunch to Theo Huxtable from the Cosby Show, from Stephanie on Full House to Carlton on The Fresh Prince, middle children are super!

Take some time on National Middle Child Day to give these characters a nod with some of these shows:

• Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006)
• The Middle (2009-2018)
• Stuck in the Middle (2016-2018)