middle children
Between oldest, youngest
Middle children are those born between the oldest and youngest siblings in a family.
The term often carries psychological freight—middle children are stereotyped as overlooked, caught between the attention given to firstborns and babies: Classic middle child syndrome—always trying to stand out.
In figurative use, middle children describes anything occupying an awkward or neglected intermediate position.
- firstbornsFirst children born
- intermediateBetween two levels
- siblingsFellow offspring
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- psychologyStudy of mind, behavior
negotiation skills · people pleaser · offspring · brother · sisters · adaptability · resilience · peacemaker · identity formation · sibling rivalry · parental attention · independence · family roles · family dynamics · conflict resolution · overlooked · left out · lost in the shuffle
middle childrenfirstborn
First child born
last-born · only children · first-born · baby of the family · eldest
middle, children, child, middling, childish, childlike, childless, childhood, childishly