Being A Middle Child

Being the oldest child can be challenging, but very rewarding. Especially being a first generation university student in a household of 2 or more children. I am the oldest child, meaning all of the responsibility was placed on me. I was expected to have the best grades, outstanding manners as well as keep a smile on my face every time one of my 3 little siblings break a vase at a family friend’s house. I was the child who would have to watch over the children while my parents were at work, serve them lunch while my parents were out buying groceries, take them to football and basketball practices while my parents were preparing dinner at home. I was the third parent, and that has always been on me since before I could speak. I grew up feeling

My family consists of my mom, dad, two sisters, and one brother. I am the youngest child of the family. With my siblings being a good deal older than me, I tended to feel left out when they got to do things that I didn’t. The age gap left me feeling like an outsider sometimes. As we grew older, the bond between us grew much, much stronger. I think of my siblings more like friends now. They are people that I can tell

Each child has his or her own personality. Typically the firstborn is a natural leader, while the last is always the baby, but what about the overlooked middle child? The middle child can sometimes feel lost in the crowd when it comes to family dynamics. They crave their parent’s attention and are willing to do anything to believe they have it, but immediately close up when it comes to conflict, they become people pleasers. They will do anything to make their parents, or others, happy. This makes the middle child a skilled peacemaker and negotiator (Varma, 2013). They are amazing listeners because of the fact they hate conflict,

A quick aside with my own personally experiences as the youngest of three brothers. Often my siblings have set the curve for what is acceptable and not – weather that be academics or that be sports. In my own competitive nature, I have sought to surpass my brothers, with me being the first of the three to go to

I am a middle child. I am not the assertive, naturally confident first-born, nor am I an attention-seeking youngest child; I am the quiet, quintessential middle child. For the first 16 years of my life, I was always an afterthought to the craziness of my two sisters, and I loved it‒ it made me independent and self-reliant. I have always been very comfortable being the easy-going child, happily accepting anything that comes my way. Never have I felt that my parents loved me any less; they merely had to worry less about me than they did my siblings, with their stubbornness and constant desire for affirmation. I easily slid under the radar, preferring to mind my own business and handle problems on my own. There was never anything wrong with my

Middle childhood is a crucial time when children start to establish their own sense of identity, independence, and start to be more involved in the world beyond their family. When children get older there values and behaviors start to change. Many children try to be individuals, but most of the time it makes them feel vulnerable, so they tend to conform to a group. During middle childhood cognitive changes begin to transform a child’s mind and body therefor having stability at home and in school is crucial. Vygotsky realized “that children learn from one another, their cultures and their teachers (Pg.242) Not having stability from these things will most likely impair a child’s social

I am the oldest of three. I have one sister two years younger and one brother 4 years younger. We share the same mother but at the age of 4 my dad adopted me. My father was extremely leniant with what my brother, sister and I

I’m the youngest of 4 children. I like being the youngest because I never get bored. I have two older brothers and one older sister. My parents are divorced. I live with my dad in Urbana. My dad’s girlfriend lives with us. She has a daughter that is fourteen. I have two dogs. I love my dogs and wouldn’t

I have always been the youngest. I was the youngest of a rather large family of seven. My parents, then two girls, then three boys. Me being the last of the boys. I was five when it all began. I was living in Sheffield, England and my parents had been thinking about adoption for a little while. One day when we all met in the conservatory for devotions, Mom and Dad walked in purposefully and started devotions by saying,”Kids, we have been thinking about adding a member to our family. We want to adopt.” The room got quieter and everyone was still while Mom and Dad waited for a reaction. I had absolutely no idea what in the world that meant, but the word sounded sharp so I liked it. I quickly learned that it meant “finding a kid whose parents couldn’t take care of them, and bringing them into our family and making them our son, or daughter, brother or sister.” I liked the idea and was all for it. Mom and Dad warned us that it would not be easy to adopt. We discussed the what it would take and what it would mean for us. I’ll admit I didn’t understand most of it, but I did understand that I was getting a new sibling, and that some things would change. If I only knew how much…

I was the youngest sibling in the family. But, don’t be fooled, somehow I have managed to meet and fail majority of the stereotypes resembling the youngest child. I have always been described as a natural leader, risk taker, and social butterfly.

Perfectionism. At 14 years old, I didn't know the exact meaning of it, but I assumed it meant wanting to be perfect. I don't know, I had a very limited vocabulary at that time. The time of starting high school. A completely different world from middle school. I mean, assignments are harder and turning them in on due dates is a very important thing! The stakes were definitely raised and I was no longer going to be babied around. I'll be honest with you, my teachers from before would let me get away with turning in assignments later than the due date. Yeah, middle school was totally a breeze. For that, I was thankful but it actually only brought me to my doom in high school.

The oldest child plays an inimitable role in the structure of her family. She has a propensity to be confident and often craves her independence at an early age. She sets the standard for her younger siblings and realizes that her actions are observed closely by impressionable eyes. This accountability often instills in her a drive to act in a respectable and responsible manner. As the oldest child in a family of eight, I have been persistent in regarding these characteristics and have enabled them to shape my identity.

Even though youngest siblings always try to do what they can to not be compared to their siblings, being the youngest does not always have perks. We do not get as much attention like our older siblings do and we sometimes do not feel the same love the parents give to their first-born.

Being the oldest child has had a huge impact on who I am today. I have to be responsible and make sure that my sisters have someone to look up to. My actions play a role on how I show off my responsibility. I am responsible in any shape, way, or form because I love it when everything around me is neat, clean, done on time, and organized. Being responsible is not an easy aspect especially when different thoughts go through people's minds when they hear the word.

Sibling rivalry is not the only issue that was triggered by birth order, child’s personality and his or her intelligence is also involved. Some researchers say that first-borns are smarter because they are pressured to set-up the boundary for the younger siblings. They are more enthusiastic in their education for them to be role models of their other siblings. As for the younger ones, life may be or may not be easy, depending on how they will view it. They may view it positively by keeping in mind that since their older sibling get through it, they also can. Otherwise,