What is middle child syndrome.. Is it real, what are the symptoms if any...?

Question

my son has 3 little girls 4,2,and 1. the 2 year old is doing some things that just dont add up like peeing in her bed again and wetting her pants also. she is also very clingy for momma to. please help if you know anything..

Answer 1

I truly believe so. I know of course that some people (some middle children) use it as a scape-goat for their neurosis...but aside from that, there is basis that getting stuck in the middle can cause a few problems regardless of whether one can overcome it or not.

I am a middle child.



Middle Children: Finding Their Own Pride of Place

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Oldest and youngest children can usually find reasons to be glad about their place in the family. Not so middle children. They often aren't the biggest and strongest, they aren't the babies who get away with murder, they aren't really anything special, at least in their own minds. Sometimes they feel invisible.

But this uncomfortable feeling of not having a defined place in the family may actually turn out to be an advantage. Unlike first children, who often define success by their ability to meet their parents' expectations, middle children are more prone to rebel against the status quo. This observation is the main point of a fascinating book, Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives, by Frank J. Sulloway. The book also argues that birth order--the middle position in particular--is one of the prime forces behind the scientific and social revolutions that drive history forward. I'd wager that most middle children had no idea that they were so important.

Another result of having a less well-defined place in the family is that middle children often reach outside the family for significant relationships. They make close circles of friends. During adolescence, in particular, they may be especially influenced by their peer groups, often to their parents' dismay.

Answer 2

You say the two year old is peeing in the bed again. She may have a bladder problem if she peeing "again". She may be clinging to her mother because she may not be feeling well and doesn't know how to communicate this to her mother.

And too--surely you've heard of the terrible 2's? Two year olds are so defiant and wreckless and this is a crucial time in their lives, as this is the time they are entering the age of reason. This is where language comes in more than usual and this is a time of extreme learning. They take so much in and they need guidance and attention.

And yes, the middle child often feels rejected for so many reasons. They get the older child's hand me downs and they no longer enjoy being the "baby" of the family. Being the baby has so many privileges that even the firstborn may resent.

Answer 3

Middle child syndrome usually refers to the middle not getting as much attention as the rest. The older one was the first so they got alot of attention and the younger is the baby so it gets more attention and the middle sortof gets left out more. Not always the case. Usually small children don't do things like your describing unless there is something upsetting to them. Changes in there routine or they are scared. Has she been watched by any strangers lately? A new daycare or babysitter? I guess I might worry a little but she is still young. Maybe they need to take her to a doctor and get her a checkup. It might be as simple as having an infection but you never know what happens to children to make them act different. Good Luck

Answer 4

Middle Child Syndrome
an emotional scarring condition.
Middle children are known for ending up with the things that are too big for the baby in the family and too small for the oldest. It is a known fact the youngest and oldest are treated differently than the middle child for the oldest is the first child aka favorite and the smallest is the baby aka the last child known for getting whatever they desire because they are the "baby".

Middle Children sydrome includes: neglect, forgotten dates, and sometimes in bad cases forgetting they even exist.

Answer 5

The middle children i have known have been more well adjusted than others. They have had to deal with younger and older people their entire lives, and as a result are more sociable and extroverted. It is normal for a two year old to act out as it is a very difficult age, but i have taken care of many children and watched them get through this phase to become normal happy kids. Also, a little girl asyoung as two should be clingy to her momma, it's only natural.

Answer 6

The eldest child has all the love and attention poured out to them - until number 2 child comes along. No 1 child resents no 2 child for stealing mum and dad's affection but still gets all the new clothes etc because they are the biggest/eldest.

No 2 child gets the hand-me-downs in clothes and toys, They have to compete with an elder sibling for care and attention from parents.

No 3 child gets care and attention lavished on it because of remaining the baby of the family and therefore always in need of care and protection. The baby of the family gets their own way etc. Often this is because of the time that parents give this child after the older siblings have gone t school for the day;

No 3 child has less hand-me-downs as they are getting worn out;

N0 1 child is the responsible one - the boss - who has to look out for the others in the absence of parents.

No 2 child gets lost in the business of family life. They are expected to get on with things with the minimum of fuss. Their job is to blend in and not cause problems.

When child 3 comes along, child 2 may show signs of jealousy, but this trait is more often seen in No 1 children.

Insecure no 2 children often revert to lower levels of development as you describe.For at least the next 16 years, no2 child is going to need reassuring that they are loved and accepted - not being the baby or the eldest is just as special.

No2 child needs to be actively brought into the care of no3 child. Even though this will mean it takes longer to perform tasks, it will help to reassure no2 child of the security and specialness of their position in the family. No2 child needs - more than eldest or youngest - to hear from mum and dad that they are loved, valued and appreciated.

It may help to get no2 child a special doll so that she can copy mum when no3 child receives care.

Answer 7

It's real. Of course, 2-year-old is going to have some behavioral issues regardless. But, middle children do often struggle with finding their "place." Oldest children struggle with feeling like they're given too much responsibility. Youngest children tend to be a bit self-indulgent and slow to mature. And, middle children tend to act out to get attention because they feel the others get special treatment either for being the firstborn or being the baby of the family. It's normal.

Answer 8

Yeah i'm a middle child and i know what she's geeling. Parents flatter the first and last kids and in my case i'm often not even mention in their conversation. I have to brothers_ 1 green eyed and the other one a handsome black eyed one. Even people, i mean my relatives use to say that they are the most beatiful kids of my family. I' m 16. I feel lonely. I dislike the fact that my folks compare me with them. Life sucks. I feel underlings to them whether physically or mentally. Even if you try to shower this child with love , your relatives would always offend her. I understand her best because i'm a middle child.

Answer 9

O yea it's real. The middle child always feel they have no place in the family. The older child get's what they get because they are the oldest. The the younger child get's what they get becuase they are the baby. Then there is the middle child. The middle child is always fighting for an identity.

Answer 10

yea it's very real