Thanks A Lot, Taylor Swift!

MIDDLE CHILD’S DAY 2025: The Day in Review

 

          Like it’s not already hard enough to garner some attention for Middle Child’s Day... Shortly after midnight, right at the start of our namesake day, Taylor Swift has to go on Instagram to share with the world the title of her new album. Typical firstborn behavior! They find out the Middle Child might be getting some attention and they have to steal the spotlight!! She couldn’t wait a day!? Or even LATER in the day?? Noooo, god forbid we should have the day to ourselves!

          It’s always an uphill battle trying to spread the word about Middle Child’s Day, but thanks to “Tay Tay,” the hill got even steeper. What an unfair fight: one of the biggest stars in the world versus… the International Middle Child Union. But we all know how David ended up on the winning side of his battle with Goliath, don’t we? Unsurprisingly, that DID NOT happen for the I.M.C.U. on Middle Child’s Day. But I think we’re making progress. Look at this:

 

 

(CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

 

The folks in Fulton County, NY, actually acknowledged Middle Child’s Day on their calendar page! Well, kind of. Upon closer examination we didn’t exactly make it on to the actual calendar, but it’s a start. They even seem to be accepting the fact there can be multiple Middle Children in a family. So are the people running the “Days of the Year” website:

 

           Maybe my message is getting out there?! Of course, it looks like we still have our work cut out for us when it comes to people knowing the actual date of Middle Child’s Day. I should probably reach out to “Holiday Insights” to set them straight: 

 

 

(Middle Child’s Day is August 12, BTW) But I did speak with radio stations coast to coast, from Boston to Houston to Seattle and many more, trying to raise awareness of Middle Child’s Day. A station in Milwaukee even played their own version of “Name That Middle Child,” with me as the contestant. (SPOILER ALERT: EVEN WHEN I WAS WRONG, I WAS RIGHT!) There was this re-post on the Today Show website about my efforts. And, oh yeah -- I’m now being sought out as an authority for my Middle Child advocacy! I’ve been quoted in the Press Release for author Lori Orlinsky’s new children’s book, “Being Middle:”

 

 

I’m sure lucrative Middle Child endorsement deals are just around the corner!

          In spite of “T-Swizzle” trying to rain on the parade we didn’t have, all in all it was NOT a horrible Middle Child’s Day. And when you’re a Middle Child, that’s a very good day. 

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In Case You Missed It...

          We played “Name That Middle Child!” ALL DAY on Middle Child’s Day on “X,” Instagram, and
Threads. In case you missed it – and I can’t think of any reason in the world for missing it – here’s your chance for a shot at redemption. Now you can play the on-line version of “Name That Middle Child!” If this goes well, who knows? This might become a monthly feature at the blog!

 

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Play Nobody's Favorite Game, “Name That Middle Child”

 Coming on Middle Child's Day!

 

          Now you can spend all of Middle Child's Day testing your knowledge of useless information while paying tribute to a “Who's (not?) Who” of Middle Children on our namesake day. Starting at 8 A.M. (EDT) on Middle Child's Day (Tuesday, August 12), you can play “Name That Middle Child” all day long! A new question will be posted across a variety of social media platforms every hour on the hour, until midnight. (Answers to the previous question will be posted every hour on the half hour.)  

          What better way to celebrate Middle Child's Day then by spending your entire day thinking of Middle Children!? It's a Middle Child's dream come true!!

 

PLAY “Name That Middle Child” ON “X,” INSTAGRAM & THREADS. 

JUST SEARCH (AND FOLLOW!) @midkidunion

 

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I.M.C.U. Calls for Birth Order Hierarchy Shakeup!!

          So there I was, minding my own business doing my annual pre-Middle Child’s Day update of the I.M.C.U. Middle Child historical database, when I was once again faced with a problem that has been haunting me for years. Despite my best efforts, it seems there are varying levels of confusion regarding who qualifies for Middle Child status. Even though I’ve said it before, it appears I need to say it again: if you’re not the first born or the last born, you are in the middle. Still, I continue to be shocked by the fake news and misinformation that’s being spread about who is and isn’t a Middle Child, and what’s required to be a member of our club. 

          I first noticed there were some irregularities about how a Middle Child was defined in 2016, when it was being widely reported that 52% of U.S. Presidents were firstborns. I discovered that number only counted the firstborn male as the firstborn, even though many were actually Middle Children, and totally disregarded any female sibs born before them. WTF!? When you adjust to remove the clearly objectionable gender and anti-Middle Child bias, a majority of U.S. Presidents were actually Middle Children.

          Please don’t think this is just oldest and youngest siblings spreading this garbage. Believe it or not, there are actually Middle Children who either don’t know they’re Middle Children, or just haven’t accepted it. Case in point: when I contacted Sarah Jessica Parker’s publicist to gauge her interest in a Middle Child project I was working on, I received the following response: 

          I’m sorry, but with three older siblings and four younger, SJP’s a Middle Child – like it or not. Then there’s the radio host who told me there were no Middle Children in his family of four. Huh? When I informed him there were actually two -- and that he was one of them -- it was a revelation! Good lord.

          Even alleged reputable reference sources are perpetuating the outdated thinking that there’s a quota; only one Middle Child per family. Look at what Google AI is saying:

 

          Yes, I realize in a family of nine, the fifth born is the Middle Middle Child, so what is the fourth of nine then? But it gets even worse:

          It says right there she had two older sisters and two younger brothers. How could that not be a Middle Child!? (Forget that she married both her brothers and was responsible for killing her three surviving siblings. If anything that only bolsters her Middle Child credentials.) Well, I say balderdash! THIS HAS TO STOP!

          That’s why today, as the founder of the International Middle Child Union, I am calling for a reorganization of the birth order hierarchy. Look, I get it. I’m the 2nd of 3, the purest form of Middle Child. I used to think that was the only way you could be a Middle Child. But even my thinking has evolved to the point I recognize we’re all in this together. (Even though being the 2nd of 3 is still the worst.) If you’re not a Middle Middle Child/Smack Dab Middle Child, then what are you?

          We know what to call the oldest and youngest (INSERT DEROGATORY NAMES HERE), but what do you call all the ones in the middle? I tried a few years ago to group Middle Children across what I called The Middle Child Spectrum, but I guess that hasn’t caught on. 

          A recent HuffPost piece referred to Donald Trump’s “Middle-late” birth order (he was the 4th of 5). Could that be the new classification? “Late Middle” for any Middle Child born after the “Middle Middle,” “Early Middle” for any Middle Child born before? But that still doesn’t tell you how close or far from the middle they are. I think that matters.

          What if we borrowed from genealogical lingo? How about “Middle Child once removed,” or twice removed as you move further from the middle? Or what if we combine the two!? “Late Middle Child once removed.” “Early Middle Child twice removed.” (In a family of four, there'd be one “Early Middle Child” and one “Late Middle Child.”) That could work!

          Now every Middle Child, from first to last, can have a birth order designation they can call their very own. Because the last thing we need is another hand-me-down.

 

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Celebrate Middle Child's Day in Mid Kid style!

Middle Child's Day Fashion Guide

          Middle Child's Day is August 12th. Make sure you dress the part!  Get all the attention you deserve on our namesake holiday sporting one of the two new designs available exclusively at the Smack Dab Shop -- the world's largest (and probably only) collection of  Middle Child apparel and accessories. (If you're really craving attention, get them both!) You'll find these and hundreds of other Middle Child accessories and apparel, all suitable for Middle Child's Day or any day, only at the Smack Dab Shop.

 

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Four NEW Foldable Middle Child's Day Greeting Cards!

          Now you have more than one way to let a Middle Child know you're thinking of them on their namesake holiday! The new collection of Middle Child's Day greeting cards are here, and this year we've added a new twist. Actually, a fold.

          Just like in years past, you can click the link below and download a digital version to easily send via e-mail, or now -- for the first time -- you can go old school and print out an actual card! Then all you have to do find an envelope, schlep to the post office, probably wait in a god-awful line, spend 78 cents for a stamp, and then cross your fingers and hope the USPS will actually deliver your card by August 12. Sure, it's a pain in the ass. But what better way to show a Middle Child you really care?

 

 

CLICK HERE  

TO SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF MIDDLE CHILD'S DAY CARDS,

INCLUDING FOLDABLE VERSIONS! 

 

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Do You Have Middle Child Energy?

          I’ve always believed that you don’t need to be a Middle Child to know what it feels like to be a Middle Child. If you’ve ever felt left out, left alone or left behind, then you know the feeling. But in a post on the PureWow website, Executive Editor Dara Katz adds a whole new twist. She writes that your actual birth order position might not at all match up with the birth order energy you give off.

          That means you could be a youngest child or oldest child, but give off Middle Child energy. Or, maybe you’re a Middle Child who gives off oldest child or youngest child energy. I suppose that could happen, even though I’m pretty sure I’ve never been mistaken for anything but a Middle Child. Big surprise.

          In any case, you can CLICK HERE to take the Birth Order Energy Quiz and see how you fare. Maybe you’ll have a whole new reason to celebrate Middle Child’s Day on August 12! 

 

NOTE: I took the quiz, and hit the birth order trifecta! I am a Middle Child, feel like a Middle Child, and give off Middle Child energy. You can’t get more Middle Child than that!! 

 

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I.M.C.U. Calls B.S. on the B.B.C.

          People are always sending me links to posts they find relating to birth order, as usually these posts contain some interesting insights regarding Middle Children. Sometimes it’s the entire focus of the post, like when researchers prematurely reported the demise of the Middle Child. Or maybe it’s a link to a report on the findings of a birth order study in which Middle Children are part of the discussion. Because you can’t really have a discussion about birth order without including all the possible orders of birth, right? I mean, there aren’t even that many. You’re either born first (or only), last, or somewhere in the middle. So the Middle Child would have to be part of the discussion, right?          

          Well, maybe not.

          In a recent post on the BBC website (“Eldest Daughter Syndrome” to the Rebellious Youngest Sibling: Does Your Birth Order Shape Your Personality?), Editorial Producer Molly Gorman attempts to “find answers to the question of whether our birth order amongst siblings shapes our personalities.” (SPOILER ALERT: it’s still up for debate.) 

          As the founder of the International Middle Child Union, I read this post with great interest and anticipation, eagerly awaiting some new insights regarding the impact of birth order on the Middle Child. I waited...

          ...and waited.

          I read about eldest daughters. Eldest sons. Youngest children. Even only children. And then I began to wonder, “Are we actually being left out of a discussion about birth order?” What could be more Middle Child than that!?! And then, finally, there it was. Buried in about the 24th out of 28

paragraphs - more than 1600 words into an approximately 1800 word post - a single mention of the “Middle-born.” And, if you ask me, it was a cursory mention at best. Not even prefaced with a “last but not least” or anything that might take the sting out of being treated like a birth order afterthought.

          I have to admit, I didn’t see this one coming. Eldest to youngest, the title read. I fully expected we'd get our fair share. What a silly thing for a Middle Child to think. Shame on me!

          I hate to say it, because it's just what “they” would expect, but, no fair! On behalf of Middle Children everywhere, I demand equal time! Like that’s ever going to happen.

          Gorman concludes that “… we may, one day, have a clearer answer as to what it means to be an eldest daughter.” But it’s pretty clear we don’t have to wait to find out what it means to be a Middle Child. 

 

CLICK HERE to find out my take on the so-called “Eldest Daughter Syndrome."

 

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A TV Middle Child Legend Gets the Re-boot!

          It was a little more than 19 years ago, May 14, 2006 to be exact, when we saw legendary TV Middle Child and boy genius Malcolm Wilkerson  (Frankie Muniz) for the last time, running off into the proverbial TV sunset - in this case his calculus class at Harvard University - in the “Malcolm in the Middle” series finale. 

          One could argue that with the possible exception of Jan Brady, no TV Middle Child was more iconic than Malcolm. To refresh your memory, when the series started Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) Wilkerson had four sons. With first-born Francis already away at military school, Malcolm was in the middle of older brother Reese and younger brother Dewey. At the end of Season 4 Jamie joined the family, and in the series finale it was revealed Lois was pregnant with a sixth child. But even though Malcolm was never really the only Middle Child in the family, he was always the focal point of the series. 

          The show was critically acclaimed over its seven season run, winning multiple awards including seven Emmy’s and pulling in ratings that were anything but in the middle. Fans have

been clamoring for a revival for years and got their wish with the news that a reboot was in the offing. And now we know that filming has wrapped on a limited four-episode series. 

          We’ll get to meet Hal and Lois’ sixth child, a daughter named Kelly (Vaughan Murrae), Malcolm’s girlfriend Tristan (Kiana Madeira), and his daughter Leah (Keeley Karsten).  There was talk that none of the brothers would be returning for the reboot. (You’d think that would be a Middle Child’s dream come true! Then again, when you’re the namesake of a hit TV show, you’re certainly getting more attention than your average Middle Child.) But alas Francis (Christopher Masterson)  and Reese (Justin Berfield) are reprising their roles, while Jamie (Lukas and James Rodriguez) and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) have been recast with Anthony Timpano and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark respectively.

          The new episodes will follow a now middle-aged Malcolm and his daughter as they deal with some familiar familial friction when Hal and Lois insist that Malcolm attends their 40th wedding anniversary party. The long awaited reunion is scheduled to air on Disney+ in December 2025.

          Too bad they couldn’t premiere on August 12. Then maybe people would actually remember it’s Middle Child’s Day. 

CLICK HERE for even more details from TVLine.

 

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It's Official: Middle Children are the Best!

          Pinch me. I must be dreaming. The findings from a new birth order study have generated some surprisingly good news for Middle Children! As reported in The Guardian, “In one of the largest studies ever conducted on birth order, family size and personality, Canadian researchers gathered data from more than 700,000 volunteers and found that on average, middle children scored higher than their siblings on traits seen as important for cooperation.” Using the HEXACO Personality Inventory, the study specifically found that Middle Children were found to be more honest, more humble, and more agreeable than our older and younger siblings.

          I KNEW IT!

          Finally some proof of how amazing we are. Kinda makes our siblings sound like a bunch of creeps, no? Okay, maybe I’m getting a little carried away. I mean, this study is an outlier. I hate to burst my own bubble, but most studies over the years have concluded that birth order has a negligible, if any, influence on personality. I should probably calm down and put it all in perspective…

 

          But wait, there’s even more good news. Another recent study  has found that first born and only children are more likely to experience anxiety and depression! Okay, maybe that’s not such good news, especially for first born and only children. But it’s certainly not bad news for Middle Children, right?

          Well, now it sounds like I’m just being heartless and spiteful. That was not my intention. I’m probably just reading way too much into all this research. I now realize none of this actually makes Middle Children the best.

          Of course, it certainly doesn’t make us the worst, either.

          I guess it makes us more like somewhere… in the middle.

 

See how you measure up! Take the HEXACO Personality Test 

 

Watch a report on these findings from the Australian TV Show “The Project ”

 

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DON'T MISS THESE MIDDLE CHILD HOLIDAY CLASSICS:

“Melvin, the Middle Reindeer”

“The Middle Child's Night Before Christmas”

“Chanukah, Oh Chanukah (Middle Child Style)”

 

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DON'T MISS THESE MIDDLE CHILD HOLIDAY CLASSICS:

“Melvin, the Middle Reindeer”

“The Middle Child's Night Before Christmas“

 Chanukah, Oh Chanukah (Middle Child Style)”

 

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'Tis the Season to Feel Neglected

         When you're a Middle Child, it's always the season to feel like you're an afterthought. Middle Child Syndrome doesn't take any time off for the holidays. In fact, being overlooked and forgotten feels even worse during the holiday season. And all the gift giving that goes on only compounds the problem. It just offers so many more opportunities for a Middle Child to feel snubbed and slighted. Like we need any more reasons to feel snubbed and slighted.

          You should also know -- like with most things involving a Middle Child -- giving holiday gifts to a Middle Child can be very tricky business. Give us the same thing you bought for our siblings and you could be accused of not caring enough. Give us each something different, and you could just as easily be accused of getting them something better! It’s a no-win situation.

          After almost a lifetime of dealing with this dilemma, as both a Middle Child gift giver and Middle Child gift recipient, I’ve come to the realization there is only one solution to this problem: getting something for the Middle Child that no one else would possibly want. Something only a Middle Child would appreciate. But where could one possibly go to find such a gift?

CLICK HERE 

to visit the Smack Dab Holiday Shop! 

 

          The Smack Dab Holiday Shop is where you’ll find over 300 Middle Child themed items, featuring apparel, accessories, and limited time only Chanukah and Christmas items, including Christmas ornaments and stockings. No self-respecting first or last born would wanna be caught dead within a mile of this merch! It's the perfect place to find a gift that's right for every Middle Child on your list. That is, if you remembered to put them on your list!

FULL DISCLOSURE: there’s no guarantee that anything you order now will arrive in time for the Holidays, but not to worry -- better belated than never. Trust me, it beats being forgotten altogether. 

 

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A Troublesome Thanksgiving Tradition

          Here we go again. The annual onslaught of “Thanksgiving is the Middle Child of Holidays” memes and Tik-Toks is already in high gear. It’s seems every year I have to explain to people that Thanksgiving is far too beloved a day to be considered a Middle Child, while at the same time reminding them there already is a Middle Child of holidays – AUGUST 12, MIDDLE CHILD’S DAY FOR GODSAKE!               

          I will admit, though, the Middle Child does have a uniquely uncomfortable relationship with Turkey Day, probably because of the increased levels of Middle Child Syndrome that accompany the day. And most holidays for that matter. But I was today years old when it dawned on me there’s a particular Thanksgiving tradition that has “Middle Child problem” written all over it -- the breaking of the Thanksgiving turkey wishbone.

          You know the rules: two people each grab an end of the wishbone, pull it apart until it breaks, and good luck is in store for the person who ends up with the larger part of the bone. (Hence the term, “lucky break” some etymologists tell us. Others believe it derives from the ancient game of pool or billiards.) But if you’re a Middle Child, I'm warning you:

 

DO NOT GET SUCKED INTO THIS TROUBLESOME TRADITION!

 

          You know how this story ends. We already always feel like we can’t catch a break! The last thing we need is one more opportunity to confirm that we can’t. Literally.
          And with our Middle Child Syndrome likely already off the charts, do we really need to let this all play out in front of the whole family?

          I don’t think so.

          Let your siblings fight over who’s “the lucky one.”

          We already know who it’s not. 

 

CLICK HERE 

to check out Thanksgiving recipes from the Middle Child Cookbook!

CLICK HERE

for a crash course on turkey wishbones from Reader's Digest. 

 

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Middle Child’s Day HQ

          No fireworks. No parade. No big sales. Nobody pays attention to Middle Child’s Day. So we’ve assembled everything you need to help make this the most memorable Middle Child’s Day yet!

BROWSE ALL OUR MIDDLE CHILD’S DAY GIFT GUIDES:

2023 GIFT GUIDE    2022 GIFT GUIDE    2021 GIFT GUIDE 

2020 GIFT GUIDE    2018 GIFT GUIDE    2014 GIFT GUIDE 

 

 SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF MIDDLE CHILD'S DAY CARDS:

CLICK HERE

RAISE A GLASS TO THE MIDDLE CHILD: 

Sample some Middle Child Mixology

CLICK HERE

 

WATCH THE MIDDLE CHILD MASTERPIECE THEATER MARATHON: 

Binge Middle Children all day long! 

 

DOWNLOAD “ATTN: PLEASE!” – THE MIDDLE CHILD APP:

CLICK HERE

 

START YOUR COLLECTION OF MIDDLE CHILD TRADING CARDS:

CLICK HERE

 

GET YOUR INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE CHILD UNION MEMBERSHIP CARD:

RIGHT CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD

 

READ “MIDDLE CHILD, WILL YOU PLEASE GO NOW!”: 

PLAY A ROUND OF MIDDLE CHILD JEOPARDY:

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

SEE HIGHLIGHTS OF MIDDLE CHILD’S DAY PARADES FROM AROUND THE WORLD:

 

LISTEN TO THE MIDDLE CHILD’S DAY PLAYLIST:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

HAVE SOME LAUGHS WITH MIDDLE CHILD COMEDIANS:

 (NOTE: Nate Bargatze is NOT a Middle Child, but his bit is so funny, it had to be included!)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

 

HAVE A HAPPY MIDDLE CHILD'S DAY!!

 

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