By Alicia • 22 Comments
Being the middle child gets a bad rap. Anyone remember Jan from “The Brady Bunch”? Fictional story lines aside, there’re a lot of really positive traits that a middle child may have. It’s true that not every trait a middle child may have is wonderful but the same is true of firstborns and youngest children, too. Let’s talk about both the positive and challenging traits that’re common in the middle child position.
As a middle child, you’re a peacekeeper. You learned to keep the peace between your parents and your siblings and also during bouts of sibling rivalry. You deal with conflict in a careful way and intuitively know what can help restore peace. You’re great at soothing ruffled feathers which’s a skill not everyone has. This’s a skill that can be used all throughout your life in different situations you’ll encounter.
Middles are generally good-natured individuals. You aren’t constantly stressed like your older siblings or moody about getting your way like your younger siblings. You can just float along, happy with your lot in life. Being good-natured equals being a happier person. It isn’t any more complicated than that.
Because of the many positive traits a middle child has, you tend to make friends very easily. People find you likeable and seem drawn to you. It’s not unusual for a middle child to have a large group of friends. You enjoy your friendships and appreciate the value they add to your life. Middle children are also very loyal and caring friends, making it likely that you keep the same friends year after year.
You’re probably flexible if you’re a middle child. You don’t get bent out of shape easily like a firstborn does. You can just roll with the day and take whatever it throws at you. This saves you a lot of stress in your life. It’s a trait that others probably admire in you.
This one is not a positive trait, middles. You’ve probably got a rebellious streak if you’re a middle child. This may have led to you getting in trouble a lot in your teen years. You may be known to do things just because you felt like it. This’s a trait that you learn to control and will most likely think differently about as you become a young adult.
Middle children usually become open-minded adults. You can listen to someone share about a situation without passing judgment on them. Because of this, you’re someone others often come to for advice. Friends count on you to give them a fair, balanced view of a situation. Being open-minded helps you to be a calm, rational person for the most part, too.
Have you noticed that you’re great at negotiating? You can thank your birth order for this trait. Middle children are really good at negotiating when in a tight spot. You keep a cool head in the midst of situations that’d easily upset others. This’s a very valuable trait to have and can come in handy in all different parts of your life.
These’re some traits you may have if you’re in the middle child position of your family. Do you see any of these traits in yourself? Share your thoughts with us.