What Is Middle Child Personality?

Birth order has been shown to affect how a child acts and reacts. It can affect a child’s personality. There are a number of ways a child can “turn out” based on the order of their birth. The following is a look at home middle child personalities are formed because of birth order:

The middle child is often a little aloof. They may not be as close to the family simply because they feel less like they belong. They are often ignored because of the needs of the first-born child, or the youngest child. This leads to a lack of a sense of belonging. They will often become less attached as a result.

Next, because of that constant feeling of being ignored or unwanted by their family, they may develop an inferiority complex. Low self-esteem can become a real problem, and this can lead to future problems when they are an adult. Low self-esteem has also been linked to problems like depression. Middle children are often more glum than other children.

Next, many middle children have shy personalities. They are rather unsocial, and will remain loners rather than face uncomfortable situations like meeting new people, or striking up a conversation in an awkward moment. They become rather inaccessible, and often keep to themselves for the majority of their life. Basically, because the middle child is the one who tends to get the least attention, and they often feel withdrawn from their own family, it is unlikely they will feel comfortable making friends with people who aren’t in their family.

Many middle children have trust issues, and difficulty opening up. This can make them difficult to be in a relationship with, and leads to poor relationship choices. Often, because they long for a connection, but lack trust, they are easily influenced, often gullible, and end up in relationships with people who don’t deserve their trust. They in essence, prove to themselves that they were right not to trust anyone.

Not all middle children turn into loners with trust issues, but their personalities are often those of followers as they seek acceptance. It is important for parents of middle children to take the time to make sure they are getting adequate attention. Because middle children often have to compromise their own desires to meet the wants of the oldest or youngest children, it is important to note that they often won’t stand up for themselves, or go after what they want, rather let others make that decision for them. So, as a parent, it is wise to keep a special eye on this, and when you see the middle child compromising too often, step in and let them have their way every now and then. It can go a long way toward improving their self-confidence, and feeling entitled to fight for what they want out of life, rather than letting life just happen to them.