The oldest child is a bossy know-it-all, the youngest is spoiled rotten, and the middle is stuck right there in between. The oldest is ambitious, the youngest is carefree, and the middle is the peacemaker. Stereotypes concerning birth order are proven to be true in many cases. The study of birth order proves that placement in the sibling heirarchy is of major importance in shaping a child’s personality. Birth order has a direct effect on the personalities of oldest, middle, and youngest children.
Frank Sulloway, author of Born to Rebel, believes that personality is not dependent on the actual order of birth, but rather the responsibilities which children adopt that leads to different behaviors and personalities. Depending on family placement,
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Being ignored and having to speak up to ensure that they are not neglected are good preparation for adulthood. Middle children have enormous amounts of patience because they spend most of their childhood waiting for their opinion to be heard. Being surrounded by siblings older and younger than them helps middle children learn how to compromise and see other people’s point of view. Fairness is one of the most prominent features of a middle child. Most middle children do not favor their own middle child; they view all their children equally and fairly. Right along side fairness, middle children are extremely independent. This is most likely because they had to find their own function and role in their family (9). “Middle Child Syndrome” should not exist. There should be no despondency or bitterness amongst middle children because although it seems to be the most unfortunate birth order position, it actually has many amazing qualities that the other positions do not