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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Middle Children need to be heard!